LEANN

By Cliff Jacobson

I met LeAnn Demars in the summer of 1987 when she and her fiancee, Scott Minar signed up for a canoe trip I was leading for the Science Museum of Minnesota. A petit 30 year old, LeAnn looked almost too frail to undertake a whitewater adventure that included portaging heavy canoes and equipment over rugged trails. But beneath her wiry 100 pound frame was the determination of an athlete and the warm heart of a caring friend.

LeAnn's first love was downhill skiing, which she pursued with gusto. She was also a serious scuba diver. Indeed, the license plate on her compact sedan read CAMAN--a reflection of her dedication to the sport. When LeAnn read about the Fond du Lac River canoe trip (Saskatchewan) in the Science Museum catalog, she pestered Scott to sign up, knowing full well that participants must be capable whitewater paddlers. Aware that she and Scott had much to learn, the pair signed up for my "Basic River Canoeing" class, which I offered through the museum. As I watched them practice on that crisp spring morning, I realized that neither one had the foggiest notion of whitewater procedures. Deep down, I wondered if they'd never make it beyond the first rapid on the Fond du Lac.

Of course, none of my concerns phased LeAnn, who, with an ever-present smile, shrugged off the consequences. Indeed, the pretty lady laughed at everything, even when they nearly capsized. When I questioned her about her always upbeat behavior, she told me that her condition had been diagnosed as "terminal giggles"--a sadly incurable disorder.

The Fond du Lac is not a difficult river to canoe, but the rapids do require sober attention--a response that was out-of-the-question for LeAnn who, whooping and hollering, would power straight towards a rock then, by millimeters, miraculously avoid it. One man suggested that her giggles confused the currents. But the rest of us knew that it was beginner's luck.

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