WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — There’s an organization in Tampa Bay that’s helping kids get out of their wheelchairs and into some water skis.
“Ann’s Angels is a 501 CS non-profit that helps individuals with disabilities learn how to water ski and wakeboard on their own and independent,” said John Lipscomb, president of Ann’s Angels.
This month, they partnered with another non-profit, Wheelchairs For Kids, to give pre-teens Noah and Logan the ride of their life.
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“He is a body that has limits, but when he gets out on that, water there is no limits, and he can feel the thrill of the speed and the water and just the freedom of being on the skis is incredible for him," said Noah’s mom, Vanessa Riley.
“It’s good for them to get out and be like other kids and experience these things, and it's uplifting for his mental health, he gets to tell everybody about it, and really have fun,” said Logan’s dad, Garland Matthews.
One of their favorite places to ski is Lake Silver in Winter Haven. Lipscomb said the first 10 seconds are the most memorable.
“You get in the water, they don’t know what to think, and they cringe up like they are getting ready to take off in an airplane, and then the boat takes off, they launch out of the water,” said Lipscomb. “It’s such a great feeling going fast in a wheelchair, it’s something they don’t get to do very often, and it becomes an adrenaline rush for them, but then they come back again, and back again.”
The non-profit relies heavily on volunteers, donating everything from their time to their expertise to their boats. Every skier must have two skiers right alongside them.
“It’s amazing that they can do that with the kids, they are sacrificing time with their families so they can help other families, it’s just amazing,” said Garland.
Ann’s Angels also takes adults with disabilities out on the water. They are always welcoming new people to the group.
“We want to inspire people to come out and do these events,” said Lipscomb. “We actually started 24 programs around the nation doing these types of things, and three outside the United States doing this so we want more people to get involved and go to these programs.”
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