Alex Thompson has a story to tell.

She calls it "the highlight of my summer."

Her tale is one of hope for a 14-year-old girl who is quadriplegic.

"Two weeks before she came, she was in the hospital, having a surgery," explained Thompson who - through the Evergreen Adventure Society and Power For All - runs an adaptive kayaking program out of Brae Island Regional Park in Fort Langley.

The girl's quadriplegia had damaged her organs and affected her lungs, leaving her in a very weak state.

Thompson said the program made a significant impact on the teen.

"Two weeks after the surgery she came here, and we took her out," Thompson said. "We had towels to make 'doughnuts' and pool noodles to support her neck and upper body, because we were trying to support her on the front seat [of the kayak]. She loved it. She had never done this in her life and she never thought that she could do it."

After about an hour on the Fraser River, the girl found a new passion.

"She was so excited, that her nurse came to me and said 'You know, after we went paddling, it was the first time she heard her talking about next year.' It gives her something to look forward to," Thompson related.

The kayaking program is for disabled or disadvantaged people living with physical, cognitive, or behavioural challenges.

The canoes and kayaks are adapted to compensate for any function the paddler has lost due to disability.

Thompson, said the program, with clients as young as three, is starting to gain momentum.

"We're definitely getting to more people," she said, adding, "I would say this year we have to be more creative with the equipment because the disabilities are more severe."

The popularity of the program is born from its therapeutic benefits, said Thompson, a certified instructor through Paddle Canada: "It's a unique medium for them to feel. First of all, just the fresh air and being outside. For someone who is quadriplegic or struggling with a mental illness, feeling the water and having that sense of mastery of something, it's a really a good booster for self esteem."

Clients are often paired with a volunteer kayak buddy on two-person boats.

"Sometimes, if clients want to go on a single kayak we use as much adaptive equipment as necessary to make the boat stable and safe for the client and his or her abilities," Thompson added.

There is still room for more clients to climb aboard, especially on Saturdays.

The program ends Sept. 25.

Anyone interested in the program can call 778-885-7953 or email powerforall@evergreenadventure.ca.

tlandreville@langleyadvance.com