So,
Here we are back at the ISA World Champs but this time in Mexico, ....Sayulita to be exact. We have a killer team full of awesome athletes and most importantly folks with hearts of gold...
Tamas Buday, Matt Abbott fellow SUP Racers
Dan Michaluk Prone Racer
Diane Wenzel SUP surfer
Adam Finer SUP surfer
Me SUP Racing
Diane and I are co captains for the team, where we manage all aspects of the team and ourselves..hahaha I love this part even though this year it was a little tough with working and traveling etc but still LOVE being captain and making sure we got what we need!
It is crazy that I am wearing so many hats this year:, top racer, team manager, self coached, teaching clinics, working as a high school teacher, wife, ... I am thriving on the pure kindness of the world that opens their arms and hearts to me and help me out where they can... I love it... I wouldnt have it any other way.
Long Distance Race...
I went into this race with not really knowing what the outcome could be... My life has been AMAZING since BOP but also a little crazy... I got a job that I love for the winter/spring teaching outdoor education at a private school in West Vancouver. The staff at Explore are out of this world, they have amazing experience, knowledge, personality, and huge hearts and passion. I feel so lucky to be a part of this amazing team of teachers... Unfortunately, this job takes a huge cut out of training, which I was aware of all along and was my choice to take. I LOVE teaching and this job is the ultimate, so there was no way I wouldn't grab the opportunity to spread the knowledge and love of the outdoors to the young ones of our world... SO, the winters and much of spring were spent camping, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and teaching students life skills.
Not only did I teach at the school but during my 1.5 months off of teaching in March and some of April I decided it would be fun to teach SUP to others... SO, I taught sup clinics with Werner Paddles and put on my first retreat with AguaVida surf in Costa Rica as well as some pretty rad SUP clinics in the PNW... I was away teaching the sport I love to others and I can't tell you how fulfilling it is for me to see people get stoked, improve, and just walk away with a smile on their faces..
In the midst of all of this, my unbelievable husband held down the fort and got us ready to sell our apartment and buy a new house in a new town.. WHAT! MOVING, selling and buying,.... holy moly it takes a lot of work, effort, and is more than slightly stressful,.... my man is the BEST!
SO yes, a lot on my hands,....
So here I am at the start of the ISA Worlds Distance Race... I needed to dig deep, have a solid start and paddle with my heart.... I was unsure what the body would do but the mind,.... it was still sharp and competitive... I had an average start off the line but luckily I could dig deep and catch the top paddlers before the first buoy, I managed to hit that buoy first and then there were a few of us out front... Candice and I shared some drafting and by the end of lap 1 we had found a lead, lap 2 we worked together to increase the lead and by lap three my busy winter/spring maybe caught up with me and I could feel the hurt coming and my pace slowing. This is not normal for me on a distance race, typically this is the point where I pick it up and others drop off... hahaha.. this time, it was me trying to hold on,.. I tried my best through lap 3 just to be there, but as the beginning of lap 4 was before us Candice had a lead, she was paddling so strong, I tried to keep the pace, and keep the distance short but she had me,.... I was then focused on keeping my number two spot.... on the last buoy in the waves, things went a little side ways, literally I had a mental block and the body was failing,.... but I somehow kept it together and caught the final wave into the finish and sealed my number 2 spot.
Sure it is difficult heading into the race as the defending champ.... there is more pressure and not defending is like a little stab in the back.... BUT Candice was the stronger paddling on that day and I respect that and am happy to have come in second with the little training I have done prior to this event.
So, I am proud of the way I paddled, the way I finished, and the way i enjoyed congratulating all the ladies for their amazing efforts... This is definitely an amazing sport....
Get out on a board and try it out
live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
lina
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