"I finished first in the 100-meter breaststroke and fourth in the 100-meter freestyle," says Brian Markwarth, 28, of Arlington, referring to the 2004 Special Olympics. "And I lift weights every day." He points to bulging biceps and triceps. Excellent, I think to myself. This is exactly the guy I want in my double kayak paddling around Marblehead Harbor. I can just sit back and take in the views.
It's a cloudless Sunday morning in mid-July, a perfect day for being on the water. While volunteers for Outdoor Explorations are busy bringing kayaks down to the water, Matt Ackley, 31, trip coordinator, goes over the paddling strokes with Brian and six other adults who have cognitive and physical disabilities. Bryce Miller, 22, of Belmont, seems to have the paddling rhythm down as he takes time to show me his fancy blue sneakers.
"These are my water shoes," Miller says.
Once our last paddler, Chris Allicon, 40, of Methuen, arrives on the beach in his wheelchair, we slip into the kayaks and push off into the wild blue yonder. I'm not paired with the robust Markwarth, but with Craig Halleran, a devout Red Sox fan.
"What time's the game today?" I ask.
"2:05," is Halleran's quick response.
"Who's pitching?"
"Wakefield."
"Are the Sox going to make the playoffs?"
"I hope so, but I don't think so," says my opinionated partner.
We paddle in a pack, weaving through anchored boats, past the multimillion-dollar estates that line the shores. Markwarth eyes a cormorant while Sam Fisher, 31, of Lexington, closes his eyes and sighs, feeling the sea breeze brush his face. We take our sweet time, savoring the moment.
Sea kayaking in Marblehead Harbor is one of many adventures Medford-based Outdoor Explorations offers people with and without disabilities throughout the year. There's a rafting trip down the Deerfield River, sailing out of Piers Park in East Boston, biking Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, backpacking the White Mountains, snowshoeing at Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle.
The group was founded in 1990 by Carolyn Bess of Boston, who wanted to bring 11 friends on a backpacking trip into the Berkshires. It has grown to include 1,000 participants each year and a long list of volunteers who want to join the fun.
"For people with disabilities, all you need is a willingness to be open to new experiences. For the volunteer, it's a rare opportunity to see the capabilities of all human beings. There's an amazing spirit here," says Valerie Hill, 41, of Quincy, a volunteer for the last three years.
Outdoor Explorations is among a growing number of organizations and companies in the surging "accessible travel" market. According to a 2002 study by Open Doors Organization, a social action research group in Chicago, about 33 million adults in the United States have disabilities. Eleven million of them travel each year, pouring more than $13 billion into the tourism industry.
"The study shows that people with disabilities are a big part of the consumer market," says Eric Lipp, 34, director of Open Doors. Lipp had a tumor removed from his spinal cord and walks with a cane and a brace on his right leg. He says the greatest obstacle to travel for people with disabilities is the lack of reliable information on a destination.
"A hotel says it's accessible, but when you get there, there's no way to get to the restaurant or bar, or the staff is not properly trained," he says, emphasizing the need for a good access guide to every US city. "The only decent guide is produced in Northern California."
The Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality, based in New York, is educating travel agents and tour operators on the needs of people with disabilities. Executive coordinator Jani Nayer says the industry is slowly starting to listen, especially now that they "see accessible travel as a business, not a charity. There is money to be made."
Many groups like Outdoor Explorations are nonprofit and rely heavily on donations. They cater to a growing segment of the population who may be disabled, but yearn for the great outdoors.
Wilderness Inquiry, based in Minneapolis, started in 1976 with just four trips.
"People thought we were crazy," says founder and executive director Greg Lais. "This year, we have 120 trips all over the world." They include hiking into Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii and horseback riding in the Rockies. Popular this summer are trips down the Missouri River, to celebrate the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark, and sea kayaking jaunts in Lake Superior and the Gulf Islands of British Columbia.
"Sea kayaking lends itself to someone in a wheelchair. They have good upper body strength," says Lais. "A lot of what we talk about is ability, not disability.
Environmental Traveling Companions, based in San Francisco, was founded in 1972 by three rafting guides who began offering white-water trips to underprivileged youths and people with disabilities. They now include sea kayaking and cross-country skiing programs, but rafting remains the top priority.
Also based in California, Jim Gatacre started HSA International in 1981. It is now one of the country's leading authorities on scuba diving for people with disabilities. Gatacre notes that "diving is particularly conducive to people with paralysis, because they're liberated underwater from the effects of gravity." HSA certifies divers and instructors in 45 countries, and takes guests on package tours. A seven-night stay in Bonaire, including accommodation, breakfasts, lunches, and three guided boat dives a day is $1,100.
Overseas, the Britain-based Jubilee Sailing Trust takes 20 able-bodied passengers and 20 disabled passengers on its tall ships, Lord Nelson and Tenacious. As the boats sail through Caribbean and Atlantic waters, wheelchair-bound passengers climb the masts through a pulley system, while blind salty dogs use Braille signs and a speaking-only compass to navigate themselves and the ship.
In South Africa, Epic Enabled uses oversized vans and tents to get people of limited mobility out into Kruger National Park. New Zealand's Accessible Kiwi Tours will take you and your wheelchair for a bungy jump off Skippers Canyon on the South Island.
First, you might want to do something a bit more mellow closer to home. After lunch, our motley crew goes back out on Marblehead Harbor for another two-hour paddle past the Corinthian Yacht Club to Marblehead's lighthouse. When we return to shore, Chris, who is paraplegic, slowly pulls himself out of the shell of his kayak back into the wheelchair.
"How'd it go?" I ask.
"Sun in your face, you can't beat it," Chris says. "I'd definitely come again."
Stephen Jermanok's latest book is "New England Seacoast Adventures" (Countryman, 2002).
