Brainwaves

Brain Injury Association of Arizona Blog

Rafting Through Recovery:  How Carlene Klebe gained the confidence to tackle the Colorado River

By Christina Eichelkraut


Carlene Klebe awoke one night from the sheer brightness of a huge full moon and the soft blanket of light it gently laid on the floor of the Grand Canyon. The pale glow softened the craggy edges of the canyon’s timeworn walls and danced gently on water of the Colorado River. Klebe knew she was experiencing a precious moment in time, the quiet of the canyon’s bottom utterly peaceful.

She wasn’t the only one who woke up. Around her, other people on the Abilty360 Mainstream Experience trip stirred as well. They were all taking part in a white-water rafting trip down the Colorado River specifically designed for people with disabilities.

It was a beautiful, treasured moment on a trip Klebe almost didn’t go on.

“I really didn’t know if I was eligible for the group, or if I’d be allowed,” Klebe said.

Laura Wagner - Acquired Brain Injury Survivor

Carlene Clebe (left) and BIAAZ staff member Janice Podzimek

“I would never have signed up for that if I hadn’t gotten the confidence from doing the Think Tall Don’t Fall class.”

Rafting Through Recovery:  How Carlene Klebe gained the confidence to tackle the Colorado River

By Christina Eichelkraut


Carlene Klebe awoke one night from the sheer brightness of a huge full moon and the soft blanket of light it gently laid on the floor of the Grand Canyon. The pale glow softened the craggy edges of the canyon’s timeworn walls and danced gently on water of the Colorado River. Klebe knew she was experiencing a precious moment in time, the quiet of the canyon’s bottom utterly peaceful.

She wasn’t the only one who woke up. Around her, other people on the Abilty360 Mainstream Experience trip stirred as well. They were all taking part in a white-water rafting trip down the Colorado River specifically designed for people with disabilities.

It was a beautiful, treasured moment on a trip Klebe almost didn’t go on.

“I really didn’t know if I was eligible for the group, or if I’d be allowed,” Klebe said.

Laura Wagner - Chasing the Mountain of Survival Through Acquired Brain Injury

Carlene Clebe (left) and BIAAZ staff member Janice Podzimek

“I would never have signed up for that if I hadn’t gotten the confidence from doing the Think Tall Don’t Fall class.”

Klebe is a spinal cord injury survivor who had been hit by a taxi cab driver in New York in 2005. In addition to the spinal cord injury, which left her severely limited proprioception, she was left with a number of chronic side effects.

“It was one of those things where by the time I left New York in 2010 I didn’t understand the things that were happening to my body,” Klebe said.

Klebe didn’t get surgery to address the spinal damage until 2013. She moved to North Carolina for the surgery and to recover since her son was there and could help her post-surgery.

In 2014, Klebe returned to Phoenix, Arizona and began to lean into her post-surgery life. She enrolled in programs at Ability 360, enjoying various programs and the opportunities to socialize. Eventually, Klebe hoped to become even more involved and start volunteering at some of the events, too.

But then, in October 2015, Klebe was once again struck by a car.

The accident exacerbated Klebe’s prior injury, prohibiting her from volunteering. Still, she managed to occasionally participate in Ability360 events and conferences.

That was how Klebe discovered the Brain Injury Association of Arizona. She attended a Rays of Hope conference and was struck by the similarities between her experience and one described by a keynote speaker.

In January of 2022, Klebe signed up for BIAAZ’s Think Tall, Don’t Fall class, a BIAAZ facilitated class that focuses on improving one’s balance.

Through those classes, she learned about the Daring Adventures trip.

Klebe was hesitant to sign up for the trip, however. She still dealt with a number of severe complications from her spinal cord injury and other health issues, including autonomic dysrelfexia, a nervous system condition that can cause life-threatening spikes in blood pressure. It’s a common issue for spinal cord injury survivors.

And, like many people with disabilities, Klebe worried about being a burden on the trip, despite the fact it is specifically designed for people with disabilities.

Plus, it’d been a while since her reinjury that Klebe had actively sought out activities.

“For a while, I was not participating in much of anything because I would be worried that I would have an issue coming up, some medical problem would surface that would impede me from going,” Klebe said.

After a bit of procrastination, however, in January of 2024 Klebe decided to register for the trip.

“I would never have signed up for that if I hadn’t gotten the confidence from doing the Think Tall Don’t Fall class,” Klebe said.

The next month she was interviewed by a program administrator and in March was informed she was first on the waitlist. After a two month wait, due to another participant dropping out, Klebe was told she would be able to go on the trip.

That summer, in mid-June, Klebe found herself at the trip’s departure point. Her daughter, who had been very supportive, dropped her off.

The trip was extremely well organized. First, an attending nurse took the participants’ extra medications while volunteers and other staff provided name tags for any other medical equipment and gear. All participants were given a long-sleeved SPF shirt with “Mainstream Experience” written across the front. Before long, everyone’s gear was lined up waiting for the bus.

Overcoming her trepidation and concerns to go on the adventure was definitely the right decision.

“It just worked out to be the perfect trip,” Klebe said.

A bus took Klebe and the rest of the cohort to Henderson, Nevada, where they met their white-water rafting guide. From there, they went to a small airport that flew them to the Bar 10 Ranch.

There, they enjoyed skeet shooting, horseback riding and the option to sleep outside under the stars, though the cold drove some people indoors.

RaftingThe next morning a helicopter took the group and all their equipment to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Klebe sat in the front and recorded a video she shared on social media.

In addition to the trip itself, Klebe made a lot of new friends. And she didn’t feel like a burden for a second of it.

Sure, they were all relying on the trip coordinators, but importantly, Klebe also knew everyone in the cohort was relying on each other, too.

One of them even put together a yearbook filled with pictures of the trip to commemorate it. Two months later, in August, the group held a reunion at Ability360.

“It just worked out to be the perfect trip,” Klebe said. “The people there, it was such a wonderful combination of people.”

The adventure didn’t end with the trip, however.

Later in the year, Klebe was invited to a fundraising breakfast to tell her table hosts and other guests about her experience. For the first time in a long time – Klebe is retired – she got “all gussied up for work” in business attire to attend the semi-formal affair. There, in addition to a happy reunion with several of her trip cohorts, Klebe met even more incredible people.

“So, I’ve gotten to do other things too,” Klebe said.

Klebe treasures the memories created on the trip, and she had some words of wisdom for anyone else with a disability who is hesitant to strike out on their own adventure.

“I keep thinking about the question of what would I tell someone to do in order to get out and enjoy something,” Klebe wrote in an email after the interview for this story. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.  But I think the first step is being kind to yourself.  Then preparation and patience. Believe in yourself.”

Christina Eichelkraut is a recovering print journalist who founded Christina Copy Co. in 2011. When her keyboard isn’t clacking, she bakes complex artisan bread, nerds out on political science, uses her fountain pens to write to pen pals the world over, and reads long past her bedtime in a joyful disregard of her alleged adulthood. Christina earned her B.A. in Mass Communications with an emphasis in print journalism in 2006 from Franklin Pierce University.

ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION OF ARIZONA

The Brain Injury Association of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.

What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.

Brainwave Archives

Search Blogs

RECENT

Skip to content