Greg Mallory knew he would lose the use of his legs after landing off a cliff in a skiing accident in 1994. So the Portland, Oregon, native started thinking about what else he could do to stay active in the outdoors, as a paraplegic. What could he do? The answer was kayaking, and it was a perfect fit.

“Walk on Water” is an aptly named short film detailing Mallory’s inspiring story, one he’s been wanting to share for a long time. The five-minute film by Andy Maser, an accomplished kayaker himself, told Canoe & Kayak that “Greg Mallory is the most inspirational person I’ve ever met. Since the first day we met and paddled together, I knew that I had to share this story.” Be ready to be inspired:

As you can see, the film shows Mallory running class V rapids in Oregon, the help he receives from fellow kayakers, and the struggles he endures when launching the kayak.

“One of the obvious aspects of kayaking that made sense to me was that I would be sitting down,” Mallory explained in the video. “I could still use my arms. I would be in the same situation that anyone else would be. It appealed to me because I wasn’t going to need special equipment and I wasn’t going to look any different than anybody else on the river.

“It’s hard for me to come up with good things that have come out of my skiing accident, but kayaking is one of them.”

Mallory is currently on a year-long kayaking road trip to Patagonia with friends and family, and no doubt inspiring people along the way.

For more on Mallory, visit Canoe & Kayak.