120-mile kayak trip across Lake Champlain to benefit athletes with disabilities
One South Hero resident is making the trip of a lifetime with a paddle in hand
By Jackson Stoever
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ADDISON, Vermont (WPTZ) — One South Hero resident is making the trip of a lifetime with a paddle in hand, all to raise money and support disabled kayakers.
5 days and 120 miles.
That is how long Cathy Webster hopes it will take her to navigate the currents of Lake Champlain in her trusty kayak.
Cathy, a full-time physical therapist, is also the manager of the adaptive kayaking program at the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association (NDAA). Her program gives folks with physical disabilities a chance to get out on the water.
“One of my clients said, ‘Do you think I’ll ever be able to kayak?’ She was a quadriplegic. I said, ‘Let’s try,'” said Webster.
After a decade of empowering people through paddling, Cathy wanted to do something special to mark ten years of breaking down barriers.
On Wednesday, she began a 120-mile paddle across the entirety of Lake Champlain to raise awareness and funds for her program. Starting in Benson when the sun came up, she made it to Chimney Point by noon. From Chimney Point, she will continue along Lake Champlain, taking in unforgettable views of the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks, before crossing the northern border, eventually reaching the finish line in southern Canada.
Cathy says her journey is also in memory of the paddlers that she and the NDAA have lost along the way and hopes it will empower others from both sides of the lake to join her on her next adventure.
She needs your help to get there. To donate to the cause, you can visit the NDAA website.
“Just seeing somebody come in and struggle with their mobility, get into a kayak and take off independently, that’s what it’s all about,” said Webster.
Cathy is hoping it will take her four more days to get to the end, if the skies cooperate.
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