Penelope Davenport competes in the kayaking, mountain biking and trail running segments during the 2017 King of the James triathlon. (Photos by Rich Young)
Although she won the women’s division in last year’s King of the James triathlon, Penelope Davenport downplays her achievement. “I’m not somebody who usually wins races,” she says, stressing that she was one of only a few women competing. She’s humble, but she admits the victory was thrilling: “It felt wonderful.”
Davenport is preparing to defend her crown in the fourth edition of the annual race, to be held on Sunday, Nov. 11. Although the multisport athlete regularly runs, kayaks and mountain bikes — the three events at which any potential king or queen must excel to win their respective crown — Davenport maintains that she’s “not a racer.” Like other competitors, she enters the race each year because registration supports the James River, a place she dearly loves.
For the last three editions of the race, the organizing body, James River Outdoor Coalition (JROC), has raised funds to support river system improvements and access. This year, the 21-year-old nonprofit is working toward an even more ambitious goal: a universal access ramp at the Huguenot Flatwater section of the river.
The ADA-compliant access point would connect the upper 4 miles of the James to another ramp at Reedy Creek, expanding access for kayakers and rafters with disabilities. It’s the penultimate step in making all 7 waterfront miles of the James River Park System accessible to people like Sally Wetzler, a kayaker and athlete who serves as treasurer to the coalition and uses a wheelchair.
Kayaker and James River Outdoor Coalition Treasurer Sally Wetzler prepares to board her boat at Huguenot Flatwater. (Image courtesy James River Outdoor Coalition)
Wetzler started kayaking in the mid ’90s after attending a canoe demonstration. She loved being out on the water, but something about the canoe just didn’t click with her. The organizers brought her back out for a kayak trip the next day, and, she says, “I’ve never looked back.”
Twenty years of kayaking have led her on memorable trips across the nation, and even over the borders into Mexico and Canada. “Anywhere people kayak, I go there,” Wetzler says. Although she’s been all over, the James River is a unique place, she says, and the park system unlike anything she’s found on her journeys. “Richmond is just so fortunate to have this wild area in the middle of the city. It’s what makes us unique. Kids can be kids and explore, play in the mud puddles, learn to bike on the track under the bridge, go paddling.”
Wetzler’s adventures, which include multiday camping excursions by kayak, are impressive, but she says her athleticism is not uncommon. Locally, she points to organizations like Sportable, which helps hundreds of Richmonders with disabilities participate in a dozen sports. “People with disabilities are doing all sorts of things that, 20 years ago, people didn’t think they’d ever do,” she says. “Richmond is an outdoors community. We’re known for it, we’ve won awards for it, and we should be on the forefront of making all of these facilities accessible to everybody.”
Katie Lemmert, vice president of JROC, agrees with Wetzler, describing the access ramp as right at the heart of their mission. “We want to get people out on the water,” she says.
It will be the organization’s largest project ever, requiring a construction firm and engineers, but Lemmert is confident that they will complete it. A typical JROC project uses an all-volunteer team, and might involve trail creation or maintenance. For this more routine work, they raise tens of thousands of dollars, which is used to pay for raw materials and signage.
The coalition has already raised enough money to begin the pre-engineering phase for the access ramp. They split an upfront cost of $26,250 nearly evenly with the James River Park System, the city department with which they partner, and raised an additional $45,000 from their members. At $20 per entry, the King of the James event won’t make up the difference to the total project cost, but it’s part of a yearlong strategy to raise funds from members, other outdoor enthusiasts and local philanthropists.
Lemmert’s optimism is grounded in the popularity of the river and the park system. “More than a million people visit the parks each year,” she says, referring to a recent study that found as many as 1.5 million annual visitors, more than any other attraction in the region.
If anyone reflects that enthusiasm for the river, it’s the reigning Queen of the James. “Everything about my life is based around the river,” she says. “I met my husband on the river. We bought our house because of its proximity to the James River. I love the James; it’s a very special place.”
Davenport says she’ll probably lose her crown this year, but she’s not worried. After all, more competitors mean more funds for the ramp. Laughing, she says, “I’d love to lose. That’d be a really positive step forward.”
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