Blind man competes in 340-mile race down Missouri River

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hundreds of aspiring racers, adventure-seekers and athletes from around the United States showed up to the Kansas City metro Tuesday morning to embark on a 340-mile journey through the Show-Me-State.

But one team, in particular, is proving that if you are dedicated enough, anything is possible.

Two staff members at Alphapointe , a national nonprofit that aims to empower people with vision loss, started down the Missouri River for the second time as a legally blind/sighted tandem kayak team.

Issac McBurney, a 19-year-old legally blind man and aspiring teacher for the visually impaired, partnered with Jake McLaughlin to race the 19th annual Missouri American Water MR340 Race .

The MR340 is a four-day competition known for being the world’s longest and largest non-stop river race along the Missouri River.

As of Tuesday morning, over 650 participants gathered at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kan. to paddle their way down the Missouri River to Saint Charles, Mo., and to raise awareness of the world’s rivers.

Now, as the racers embark on the long journey, witnesses must patiently wait and watch in awe as people work to achieve their goals, challenge their physical and mental strength, and strive to cross that distant finish line.

Registration for MR340 opens at 8 a.m. every New Year’s Day. The entry fee for the race is $75 plus a $200 tax deductible to Missouri River Relief and is applied to each person, not each boat. To register online, click here or go to mr340.org . For more information about fundraising, go to the FAQ page .

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