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In Erik Weihenmayer's new book, No Barriers: A Blind Man's Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon, the theme is very clear: Individuals with disabilities can accomplish great feats with the right supports and equipment. This book is not just a journey of kayaking the Grand Canyon, but a journey through Erik's remarkable life.
Early inspiration
Erik starts the book by sharing a bit about his life growing up. When he still had some vision, he watched Terry Fox, a Canadian with one leg, run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. Terry Fox died before he made it across Canada, but he raised awareness and lot of money for his cause. This incident gave Erik hope that he could do extraordinary things despite his disability: that he could raise awareness and attention for his chosen cause. This message and Terry Fox's legacy influenced Erik his entire life, as is revealed in the book No Barriers.
Erik begins by describing his journey climbing Mt. Everest, which is also the focus of his first book, Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther Than the Eye Can See, which was published in 2001. He talks about that arduous climb and provides detail about the adaptations and supports he used along the way. He vividly describes the experience of arriving at the top of the mountain and how he felt there, and he reviews the thoughts racing through his mind on the descent. When he had almost reached his team at the end of the journey, just before history would be made, his good friend and climbing partner Pasquale "PV" Scaturro said, "Don't make Everest the greatest thing you ever do." This comment put the thought in Erik's head to continue to set new goals and meet them. No Barriers describes how, in the pursuit of new expeditions, his dream...