Never Too Old: Active Seniors Stay Fit with Canoeing and Kayaking

I thought I was getting old, maybe too old for my latest athletic endeavor: whitewater kayaking. Then I met Trudy. We were floating the Monocacy and Potomac Rivers for the 2009 Potomac River Ramble, an annual four-day canoe and kayak trip that explores a different waterway in the Washington DC region each year. At 70-something, Trudy had recently taken a rock climbing class, and now wanted to learn to canoe and kayak.

           

Since then, I've met many older paddlers: strong veterans as well as eager newcomers. Some of these senior newbies were just learning whitewater kayaking, canoeing or rafting. I watched them and reached a resolution:  Ditch your defeatist excuses and just declare that you can do this. But what is the best approach? The trial-by-error philosophy of the younger paddlers around me seemed too time consuming. I wanted technique, lessons and guidance--a system to follow and practice. I sought out appropriate instructors and got myself out on the water as much as possible. Fortunately, the DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia region offers rivers, creeks and paddling trips to match any skill level or sense of adventure.

--Linda Basilicato