Where ’ s the furthest you ’ ve travelled to meet another Church member ? I don ’ t know if this counts , but I was planning my first trip to Long Island for a family event . I had two days to spend in New York City , so I posted at Church and asked if anyone could take me paddling . Alex Arevalo said he could . I wasn ’ t in the city for an hour before I was on the subway alone , heading to meet a stranger and paddle . It was probably the most spectacular paddle I ’ ve had so far , paddling the length of Manhattan and returning to the boathouse long after dark . I also flew to Kauai to paddle the Napali Coast , but the weather didn ’ t cooperate . I hope to go back someday .
My Church of the Double-Bladed Paddle dream is to put a boat on my car , pack my bags and hit the road , touring the US and meeting and paddling with Church members . Then , going out of the country to Australia , Norway , and South America . I have been fortunate to meet so many paddlers online , but I ’ d like to see if they ’ re real !
Do you have any favourite conditions for paddling , or are you happy with whatever Mother Nature bowls your way on the day ? I ’ m an Oregonian , so I have rain in my veins . But before I was a paddler , summer was my least favourite season . It couldn ’ t be more different now . I even quit a great job to work in a school to have summers off .
What ’ s the most enjoyable encounter with wildlife you ’ ve had whilst paddling ? Early morning , I broke camp on the Willamette and was going around a bend in the river , and I startled an otter who jumped in the river and popped up just next to my kayak with the most curious look on its face . I laughed for the next mile of paddling and laugh still when I think of it . I ’ ve also paddled with whales a few times and watched a sea lion battle an octopus .
In the UK , much work is undertaken by British Canoeing to bring more women into the sport ; what ’ s being done in North America ? I don ’ t know ; most of the paddlers I know are women .
Have you ever been scared , and if not – what would it take ? I was out on Detroit Lake in the Oregon Cascades . It gets crazy wind in the afternoons . I set out into the wind , which wasn ’ t bad , but I wasn ’ t very experienced and thought it ’ d be great when I turned around to get a push from the wind . Turning the boat around was frightening , and once it was behind me , it wasn ’ t friendly at all . I quickly learned how to use a rudder that day ( it had cobwebs on it ). I had my whistle out of the pocket of my life jacket ; that ’ s how scared I was . I was lucky that I ’ d been paddling for a few years obsessively and was very strong .
What ’ s your most embarrassing moment ? I have no shame . LOL
Are there any issues that stop you from sleeping at night ? Global warming . Racists . Gun violence . Greed . Cats in the bed . The normal stuff . I used to be upset and have sleepless nights about Church issues , but that doesn ’ t ever happen anymore .
Any fellow paddler you would like to interview and why ? There are so many , but here are two for you . Dianne Chellew from Australia is a world champion racer with enough resilience for ten people . I would love to sit down with her and hear her stories . I have met Steve and Kate Dawson , champion racers from down under , but I ’ d sure like to hear more of their stories . Janet Sullens Moreland would be cool to talk with . I met Susan Conrad and was dazzled by the light shining from her . Freya Hoffmeister is a goddess of paddling , and I have met her , but I was a speechless fan girl . She is the most badass paddler on the planet , and I ’ ll argue about that with anyone .
Besides kayaking , what else do you do for a living ? I ’ m a librarian but without a library . I currently work at a Montessori school with 4th , 5th and 6th graders , and I get to read to them , so it ’ s worth getting up every day .
What do you do to relax ? I do some embroidery and other needle arts . I also read a lot .
Where do you see yourself in 20 years ? I ’ ll be in my 80s , so I ’ ll still be paddling . www . facebook . com / groups / paddlechurch
NAME ONE THING WE CAN DO AS PADDLERS TO IMPROVE OUR RIVERS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT .
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Two things . I can ’ t narrow it down to one , and you can ’ t make me . Number one . We vote for people who value the planet over profit . Number two , we clean up whenever we paddle and let children see us doing that .
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