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The 1997 Coppermine
River Expedition
 For
the first time the Royal Geographic
Society has approved an expedition made
up equally of able bodied and disabled
participants. The team will paddle 370
miles through the near arctic conditions
of Canada's North West Territory. All
team members will work on an equal basis.
July 25th sees the
team of :-
- Edward Basset,
outdoor activity instructor
- Alistair Hodgson,
double leg amputee, ex Para and off
road driving enthusiast
- Suresh Paul,
design engineer, specialising in outdoor
adventure equipment for disabled
- Dale Rennard,
design student and BCU instructor
- Darren Swift,
double leg amputee and disability
access advisor
- Steve Heynes,
single leg amputee and serving member
of HM forces
leaving Britain
to embark on a five week exploration
of the Coppermine River. The team faces
white-water and wide, wind swept lakes,
completely isolated for at least five
weeks. The team will not have any form
of back-up and the region they will
travel has no settlements, the North
West Territory is still one of the wildest
places on Earth.
The six team members
have been training for the trip for
two years. As well as having the determination
to face the biggest challenge of their
lives, they will be working to prove
that disabled people can be integrated
into mainstream outdoor activities,
from day trips to full expeditions.
Edward Bassett said
"this trip would be a challenge
to a fully able bodied team; the winds
can be so strong you can't paddle. Also
it was important to choose a really
difficult river so that no one could
accuse us of taking the easy option
because of the disabled team members."
"Through ignorance
or prejudice, disabled people are often
denied the basic right to contribute
to society, expedition opportunities
for disabled people are few and far
between, and most do not allow all the
participants to play an integral role.
The 1997 Coppermine River Expedition
plans to challenge this."
We hope to bring
you more news soon.
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