Lonnie Bedwell

October 13, 2026

VU 85’ alumnus Lonnie Bedwell is a blind extreme-sports athlete and a National Geographic 2015 Adventurer of the Year.

He is a testament to resilience, grit, and the pursuit of pushing boundaries. He has tackled some of the world’s most challenging whitewater and achieved the first blind descents of Africa’s legendary Zambezi River’s Batoka Gorge and West Virginia’s world-renowned Gauley River. Before May 2023, Bedwell was best known for his historic first blind descent of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, completed in 2013 with a team organized by Team River Runner. A repeat performance in 2014 earned him his Adventurer of the Year nomination.

A former Navy Petty Officer, Bedwell’s life changed in 1997 after a hunting accident instantly took his sight. Despite this, he raised three daughters, teaching them to hunt, fish, and, incredibly, to drive. Bedwell is now on a quest to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam – which is an adventurer’s challenge to reach the North Pole, South Pole, and the world’s highest peaks across all seven continents.

Lonnie’s mission is clear: to inspire others to live boldly and embrace life with confidence.