Adventurer Dale Sanders, 80, from Logan County, Kentucky, survived snow, stifling heat, long days, torrential downpours, and even a numb butt to become the oldest person to canoe the length of the Mississippi River on Sunday.
Sanders, known to his friends as the Grey Beard Adventurer, paddled his Wenonah canoe named “Anna” the 2350 mile length of the Mississippi from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in just three months. Sanders completed the ambitious journey to raise money and awareness of juvenile diabetes.
The Kentucky Grey Beard was inspired on his long paddle by his grandniece, Anna, who suffers from the type 1 diabetes. During the course of his journey, Sanders raised $22,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Sanders is no stranger to adventure. According to his website he is a past underwater breath holding world record holder, holds numerous spear fishing awards, and is the only known person to canoe the entire Wolf River from Bakers Pond to the Mississippi River; a trip that covered over 100 miles that Sanders completed in eight days.
The senior adventurer laughs when contemplating his next adventure telling friends, “When I found out the oldest person that’s ever hiked the Appalachian Trail is 82 years old, I said, ‘Well, I better wait a couple of years before I do that one.’”
My money is on the Grey Beard in 2017.
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