My daughter was 8 years old when she paddled the Oswegatchie River from Inlet to High Falls and back with me...26 miles round trip in about 5 days of paddling. That wasn't her first time paddling, but it was her first wilderness canoe trip.
She's 21 now, and is still an avid paddler. She finds day trips on local rivers and creeks boring if she's been there before. She's been hooked on adventures ever since.