RJ De Rama is a 45-year-old blind canoe paddler of Makapo Outrigger Team in Southern California. He was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma at two years old. RJ's vision has been getting worse although the eye cancer was healed. He became legally blind in 2004 when he was 24 years old. He had to quit work and go to the braille institute. In the darkest time of his life, he met John Chavez and joined Chavez's outrigger canoe paddling team. In 2006, the team became the first blind outrigger team to finish the 18-mile Queen Liliu'okalani Outrigger Canoe race in Kona, HI. The team members found the Makapo Aquatics Project in 2007, working with disabled athletes and helping more people enjoy the benefits of outrigger paddling. Paddling helped RJ go through the darkest time. Now RJ is a paddler, a husband, and a stay-at-home dad. Although his son was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, his family stays optimistic. RJ says: "Losing my vision makes me more open to challenges."