Facing whitewater rapids in a kayak can be a pretty scary thing to do, but for some people, it's nothing compared to what they've been through.

Janice Chan says, "I was 22 when I was diagnosed, I had Hodgkins Lymphoma, and then it relapsed a month after they said I was in remission, and so I had to have chemo and a bone marrow transplant."

Ryan Shupe has a similar story, saying, "It was 13 years ago, I was diagnosed at 10 years old with (cancer) in my foot and my lungs, I went through chemo, radiation, and amputation."

But now they and other cancer survivors are getting some 'adventure therapy' at Whitewater Park in Wausau, in a program known as First Descents.

First Descents founder Brad Ludden says, "We primarily use the sport of whitewater kayaking to kind of give them back a lot of things that cancer took, get a lot of things started in their life that maybe stopped with cancer, and ultimately provide a place in the outdoors where they can come, meet up, and heal together."

The whole experience is free of charge for campers, and while it's a lot of fun, it also allows them to meet people their age who have had similar experiences dealing with cancer.

"To be able to come out like this for free, and interact with your peers in a way that's really authentically challenging seems to be a really effective way to heal," says Ludden.

Chan adds, "I really feel like, in the last few days, that there's no cure for cancer, but like, all of this kind of brings you back and erases all the scars."

"This is just such a brilliant program, that's really the only thing I can say," says Shupe.

First Descents was started nine years ago, but this is the first time the program has come to Wisconsin.