Xtremely able: Camp promotes kids' self-esteem

As the counselor explained the river-rafting trip, Victor Vazquez began to get nervous.

The instructions included warning the teenage campers that when the raft approached Concussion Bridge, they needed to duck or find out how the bridge earned its name.

As the man responsible for caring for 19-year-old Sam Mograbi, who has cerebral palsy, Vazquez wasn't so sure this activity was something Sam could handle.

"His parents are trusting me," said Vazquez, who spent a week at the National Ability Center's Camp Xtreme with

Sam and a half-dozen other teens. "I know if they were here, they would have said, 'No way. No river rafting.' "

But parents are not allowed at the week-long camp for teens with physical disabilities, a camp that included river rafting, water skiing, canoeing, rock climbing, zip lining, horseback riding, cycling, sled-dog rides, late-night pranks, singing, dancing and near-constant teasing.

All — except maybe the frigid water at Jordanelle — were embraced with the kind of joyful abandon that usually accompanies being young.

"There were things I thought he couldn't do," said Vazquez, who has helped care for Mograbi for a year in their hometown of Newport Beach, Calif. "But it was my fault for thinking he couldn't do it."

So when it came time to navigate the bridge, he said, "Sam just leaned his head back and smiled."

The moment proved to Vazquez — and to Sam, too — that he was capable of a lot more than they had previously believed.

"So much of what being a teenager is about is asserting your independence," said Tracy Meier. "The big thing with this camp is independence. We want to help them do whatever it is they want."

That may mean waiting for campers to do things that parents or caregivers normally do: dress, make food, get in and out of a wheelchair or car, or navigate a dirt road with a walker. Rather than take over, counselors encourage, assist and constantly push the teens to do as much as possible for themselves.

The result almost always surprises the teens and their families. Parents contact Meier constantly, letting her know about the transformation that occurred in their teenager and asking about the next opportunity to participate in another camp.