World T.E.A.M. Sports 2017 Annual Review 2017 World T.E.A.M. Annual Review | Page 10

ABOVE:
Athletes paddle
kayaks at the Coastal
Team Challenge.
RIGHT TOP:
Coastal Team Challenge
athletes come to shore.
RIGHT MIDDLE:
Teams paddle along the
southern Long Island coast.
RIGHT BOTTOM:
Hobie kayaks wait for athletes
to begin the Challenge.
8
IT CAN BE SURPRISINGLY
lonely paddling tiny two-person sea
kayaks along the Atlantic Ocean
coast. Teams of developmentally-
disabled and able-bodied athletes
keep close together, pushing away
the vastness and uncertainty of the
open sea. Using hand-held paddles
and foot pedals to propel their 12-
foot Hobie kayaks along the coastal
route, athletes cover 16 nautical
miles in two days. That’s nearly
18.5 miles on land.
In the August 2017 Coastal
Team Challenge, ten teams found
a rhythm in their paddling and
pedaling. Each team worked
to maintain a constant speed
while steering their crafts against
seaward winds. Passing wakes
from boats leaving or headed
toward busy New York harbor
added to the challenge of following
the southern Long Island coast
from East Moriches.
Each kayak included an adaptive
athlete carefully selected by
Challenge partner Independent
Group Home Living Program,
a New York non-profit that provides
programs, services and support
for individuals with intellectual
disabilities. A volunteer able-
bodied coach accompanied the
WORLD T.E.A.M. SPORTS ANNUAL REVIEW 2017