Wingate students take on rain and rafting

Megan Wood
Editor-in-chief

Rainy and cool doesn’t describe a day that many would like to be outside, although 19 students found that even the dreariest of days can be one to remember. Last Saturday was that kind of day students had while visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center for a Weekend Blitz activity.
‘I wanted to go because it seemed like a great opportunity presented by the school for a great price, plus I’d never been before,” junior Heath Weatherford said.
Students were asked to pay $15 for transportation and an all day pass to the park. A deal, that can’t be complained about when all day passes run for $49 regularly. An all day pass gives full access to the outdoor recreation facility set on the banks of the Catawba River. The 307 acres also offers the world’s largest recirculating river, 14 miles of biking, hiking and running trails, and one of the world’s largest outdoor climbing facilities. “I’ve never seen anything like this type of place before and it was so much fun,” junior Zoe Hartas said.
The center was inspired by the Penrith Whitewater Stadium built for the 2000 Olympics and the stadium built for the 2004 Athens Games, and was designated by the United States Olympic Committee as an official Olympic Training Site.
“I was really scared because I didn’t want to get thrown out of the raft, you see all these movies and how scary it can be but I always wanted to try it and this was my opportunity. I probably would have never done it otherwise,” Hartas added.
“If you have never been, don’t hesitate to go to the Whitewater center,” Weatherford said. “It’s pretty sweet.”