Adventure kayaking and climbing Everest: Lonnie Bedwell's inspiring journey after losing his sight in a 1997 hunting accident – raising three daughters as a single father, teaching them to hunt, fish and drive, then achieving first blind descents of the Zambezi and Gauley Rivers, first blind descent of the Grand Canyon via the Colorado River, and becoming the first blind veteran to summit Mt Everest in 2023.

Despite a life-altering hunting accident in 1997 that caused him to lose his sight, Lonnie found the courage and determination to raise his three daughters as a single father in small-town Indiana, teaching them all to hunt and fish — and, against all odds, to drive. After the kids were grown and moved out, Lonnie was looking for another challenge. 

Through adaptive sports organizations Lonnie began to get the opportunity to do some amazing adventures. Fast forward a few years and Lonnie is a National Geographic 2015 Adventurer of the Year. He has kayaked some of the most challenging whitewater in the world and is responsible for first blind descents of Africa’s fabled Zambezi River and West Virginia’s world-renowned Gauley River. Lonnie is best known for his first descent of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. 

In May of 2023, Lonnie Bedwell became the first blind veteran to climb Mt Everest. He was accompanied by friends and climbing partners Michael Neal and Bryan Hill. Before the climb, Michael and Bryan rode their bicycles across India to set a world record for the fastest known time from sea level to Everest’s summit. We’ll have Michael on next week to share that story. 

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