Lonnie Bedwell

Lonnie Bedwell, a blind extreme-sports athlete and a National Geographic 2015 Adventurer of the Year, is a testament to resilience, grit, and the pursuit of pushing boundaries. He has tackled some of the world's most challenging whitewater and achieved the first blind descents of Africa’s legendary Zambezi River’s Batoka Gorge and West Virginia’s world-renowned Gauley River. Before May 2023, Bedwell was best known for his historic first blind descent of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, completed in 2013 with a team organized by Team River Runner. A repeat performance in 2014 earned him his Adventurer of the Year nomination.

A former Navy Petty Officer, Bedwell's life changed in 1997 after a hunting accident instantly took his sight. Despite this, he raised three daughters, teaching them to hunt, fish, and, incredibly, to drive. After his daughters graduated, Bedwell turned his attention to challenging himself and soon became one of the world’s most recognized blind extreme-sports athletes.

When told he’d need to master 1,000 kayak rolls to conquer the Grand Canyon, Bedwell rolled his donated kayak 1,500 times in his farm pond. That determination laid the foundation for the historic journey that followed.

Bedwell is now on a quest to complete the Explorer's Grand Slam - which is an adventurer's challenge to reach the North Pole, South Pole, and the world's highest peaks across all seven continents. Bedwell has successfully summited (1) Kilimanjaro in Africa, (2) Aconcagua in South America, (3) Denali in North America, (4) Mount Everest in Asia - and in December 2024, along with reaching the South Pole, Bedwell summited (5) Mount Vinson in Antarctica. These incredible feats showcase his unwavering dedication to teamwork, mental resilience, and problem-solving in high-stakes environments. He also rock climbs and is an avid downhill skier when he has time away from construction work in his hometown of Dugger, IN.

Bedwell’s mission is clear: to inspire others to live boldly and embrace life with confidence. He is a passionate advocate for children and veterans with disabilities, demonstrating that blindness does not define him or limit his capacity to help others thrive. His inspiring story has led to appearances on The Today Show, Steve Harvey, and Breaking Bobby Bones, and he has been featured in the documentary films "Feel of Vision," "Dreamline Blind," "Long River Home," as well as in numerous other publications. Bedwell is also the award-winning author of "226" (the length of the Colorado River stretch through the Grand Canyon) and travels the country, sharing his story and igniting the same passion for life and adventure in all.