Adaptive sports clinic sees growth in attendance in second post-pandemic year

Jul. 13—CONNEAUT LAKE — With a bright sunny sky and wind blowing through his hair, Lance Johnston rode the wake of the speed boat ahead of him on Monday, drifting left and right as the waters of Conneaut Lake splashed all around him.

Water skiing was something Johnston hadn't done in around 30 years, but he managed himself just fine, the line connecting him to the boat only having to be released a few times before quickly starting up again.

It was almost as if, for just a moment, he had not lost an arm and a leg in a motorcycle crash eight years ago.

"It's awesome," Johnston said of the experience. "It makes you feel like normal again."

Johnston, who is from Eighty Four, was a first-time participant at the Three Rivers Adaptive Sports (TRAS) Adaptive Water Sports Clinic, which began Monday and concludes Thursday at the Iroquois Boating and Fishing Club on the east side of Conneaut Lake. The annual clinic makes special accommodations to allow people with disabilities the chance to water ski, kayak and canoe on the lake.

In its 32nd year, the Adaptive Water Sports Clinic is a well-known feature of Conneaut Lake's calendar. This was the second year the clinic has been held since the COVID-19 pandemic and, according to Barbi Baum, board president of TRAS, the clinic saw a jump in attendance compared to last year.

"Our numbers are much better this year," Baum said. "We did not have a hands-on clinic in 2020 due to the pandemic, but in 2021, we had low attendance, but we had what we'd call good attendance."

Just on Monday alone, the TRAS volunteers helped 10 people with disabilities experience water skiing and other aquatic activities. It's an experience Baum is happy to share.

When Baum was young, she would frequent the water of Conneaut Lake during summers, especially enjoying going out to water ski. However, a car crash when she was 14 years old damaged her spinal cord, leaving her wheelchair bound.

Fortunately, companies would, later in life, begin making equipment which would allow people with disabilities to still enjoy such aquatic activities. Baum was quick to give them a shot.

"Once they started making the adaptive equipment, I wanted to try it and get back out on the water," she said. "Once I tried it, I wanted to give that opportunity to other people and it grew from there."

Safety is the name of the game for the event, with organizers ensuring each participant is able to keep their heads above water before they put them out on the lake. There are also volunteers on standby ready to jump in and help anyone who may have fallen off their skis or out of their kayak or canoe.

As each participant is dealing with a different condition, so too must the volunteers prepare different accommodations to ensure they're able to take part safely. In Johnston's case, for example, he could not necessarily make all of the usual hand signals that water skiers typically use to signal their boat while also holding on to the rope.

It's a lot of work, but to give people with missing limbs, brain injuries or a litany of other conditions the chance to get out on some skis or a boat, it's worth it.

"It's very empowering for someone with a disability to get out there and water ski or kayak like an able-bodied person," Baum said. "Makes you feel good about yourself."

Johnston certainly appreciate it. He felt nervous his first time going out on the skis during the clinic, not knowing what to expect. Afterward, he was eager to go out some more and anticipates coming back in future years.

"Oh absolutely I'll be coming back," he said. "You won't be able to keep me away now."

It wasn't just new people who were taking part in some lake fun. There were also several returning attendees, such as John Fitzgerald of Aliquippa.

Fitzgerald, who has cerebral palsy, said he's been coming to the clinic for around six years. He remembered his first time going out on the skis, feeling "a little bit shaky."

"After a while, you get used to it and figure out how to maneuver," he said.

For Fitzgerald, it brings a sense of empowerment and accomplishment.

"To be out there as a person with a disability, you don't think about it when you're out there," he said.

The clinic continues today and Thursday, running from 8 a.m. to around 4 p.m. For more information about the event for future years, contact Marcia Logan at , call (412) 996-7707 or visit TRAS' website at traspa.org.

Sean P. Ray can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .