I was asked by Matt from PaddleIn and the Ontario Backcountry Canoe Symposium to write a blog on my #paddlethanks. It is shared on their page as well as my own, so I decided to add it to this blog as well as I am really proud of this initiative.
When you think of paddling, can you remember the first person that really had a major influence on you to get out there and start exploring yourself?
I’m going to tell you a story about who those people are in my life and how I want to give them some #paddlethanks.
My first memory of paddling occured when I was a kid growing up in Newfoundland and became involved with Girl Guides. I was a pre-teen and we completed multiple day trips and a couple of multi-night trips where I remember paddling in the group, singing our camp songs and laughing a whole bunch. The evenings were filled with stories of our day, more camp songs and funny skits that we made up in our smaller camp groups. I would not have experienced this kind of laughter if it wasn’t for the people, my mom and dad, that signed me up in this wonderful program.
If you met my parents, you would see why they introduced me to this part of my life that has now grown so big that I share it with others. You see, they both grew up in very small coastal fishing communities in Newfoundland, and thus were exposed to the outdoors their entire life. They are also both very comfortable in and on the water (a later story to tell how my mom won a dory race in her 60s!).
Speaking of races, I later became involved with the school and provincial rowing club and spent most of my early mornings and evenings on the water training. This is a different kind of water craft paddling, but my love of being on the water grew exponentially. I was comfortable in a boat that was no wider than my hips and I knew I belonged on the water.
Fast forward to my life now in Ontario where I continued with my love of rowing, coaching students while also rowing as a master competitor. Then a huge part of my life changed, I was pregnant with our son and that competitive sport had to relax. I needed to head back to my roots in the paddling world as I wanted to share my love of the water with our new human coming into this world.
My paddle thanks has now shifted from my parents to my awesome husband and son. I am so very thankful that they also enjoy the water as much as I do. We have had so many paddling adventures in our lives, some good, some bad, some just crazy insane where I get the look of “I will never go out in a canoe with you again” trips, but we still keep going. I am thankful that they endure my crazy paddling adventures and keep coming back for more. Without the two of them, we would not have experienced all that we have in our paddling world.
That world has grown so big that I am now part of a very active and wonderful paddling community. Believe me when I say that I am very truly thankful for all those people that I have met through the love of paddling. I have found a best friend, I have found a great paddling partner, I have found a phenomenal group of people that lift my spirit high each time we talk about paddling trips and most of all I have found other people that I am giving my #paddlethanks towards.