THE
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CHALLENGE
Words and photos : Sal Montgomery
In the lead up to World Ocean Day , whitewater kayaker Sal Montgomery , tells us why she ’ s pledged to give back to the great outdoors .
Well it ’ s been a funny year hasn ’ t it ! For many of us , getting outside and being active has been a huge help for keeping our spirits up and helping us to keep going .
Our usual adventures and escapades were perhaps not possible , but we made the most of what was around us and I think we did pretty awesomely in my opinion ! This also perhaps helped us to appreciate some of the great places right on our doorsteps , such as the local park or nearby woods .
Like many others , it was a hard hit when everything I had been training for disappeared . Expeditions were off , paddling trips were a no-go and even getting out for a nearby paddle wasn ’ t always possible due to restrictions . You knew there were much bigger and serious problems happening around the world , but you probably still felt down in the dumps !
I couldn ’ t get out paddling as I would usually , so I found something else to keep me happy and healthy until I could get back out in my kayak ! And that was open water swimming .
The sea made me feel happy and healthy ! Even when it was freezing cold , with temperatures in the minuses and ice on the ground , I ’ d leave with a big smile on my face ( and blue toes ), ready to start another day !
On one of these particularly ‘ fresh ’ days , my swim buddy Nikki and I , sat on the pebbly beach , wrapped up in our robes and wooly hats , sipping tea from our flasks and chatting about how beneficial our ocean dips had been for
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