KANSAS CITY, Mo. — From Lake Jacomo, a practice paddle on the water before the MR340, the big kayak race on the Missouri River.
“I feel like we’re back on the river,” said 19-year-old Isaac McBurney.
McBurney would tell you his abilities not only set him apart, but ahead.
From the kayak's bow, Isaac sat in the front seat and Jake McLaughlin was in the stern.
“Communication is key,” McBurney said. “In a few weeks, I’m going to go on a really exciting adventure kayaking down the Missouri River."
The big adventure is the Missouri River 340, a 340-mile kayak race Isaac and Jake first attempted last year until a storm forced the competition's cancellation.
“We’re hopefully going to do a lot better this year than we did last year,” McBurney said.
For Isaac, it’s truly about the journey.
Isaac is legally blind.
“I basically have no distance vision," he said. "Being visually impaired makes me a better kayaker because I have no idea where we are. So this might sound like a funny thing, but it is nice because Jake can lie to me when we’re almost there.”
Isaac found his place at Alphapointe in South Kansas City where he is the general manager of the resource store.
“People who come in here, we have a commonality of vision loss,” he said. “But Alphapointe helps instill these ideas that vision loss is not the most important thing, but that we can work through vision loss, building the community and finding the resources they need. A lot of people don’t know that 90% of blind people have some sort of usable vision, it’s not the total dark black. It can be empowering to share that, yes I am blind, but I still have some vision that is able to be used.”
Kayaking the long race allows him to demonstrate trust in his abilities and in his teammates.
“Going down the river like anyone else would, except for Jake, is the eyes that I don’t have,” he said. “It’s just how I live my life. I don’t let my vision loss be the main thing. Yes, it will be a part of my future, but it’s really getting out there living life and not letting my vision loss stop me.”
McBurney is studying at the University of Missouri-Kansas City to become a teacher for the visually impaired.
“Impacting other blind students, building a sense of empowerment, building that connection is really empowering and important,” he said.
The Missouri River 340 Race starts July 23 from Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
