Oh 2019 What A Year You've Been!
There is no better way I can think of to end the year with a blog post. I always love reflecting on what has happened to continue to look forward to another beautiful year. Oh 2019 what a year you have been!
The year began with quite a lot of stress finishing up my undergraduate thesis project. I had already completed more than half of my interviews but still needed to finish up my drafts, create a poster and then hand in the final copy. By April, the project that had took me a year and a half to complete was over! I had never worked so hard on a project I was so passionate about. I hope I was able to raise more environmental awareness for those who were able to read my final thesis. If you would like to read it please send me a DM! I’ll gladly send it to you. A special thank you also goes to Dr. Stephen Murphy for your endless support and guidance! I owe all of my success to you and the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Stephen Murphy and I with our final project!
At the same time I was finishing up my thesis and my undergrad, I was also completing my duties as the GreenHouse Community Animator within St. Paul’s University College’s GreenHouse Program. I learned so much from these students and I will forever cherish their dedication to their projects, and the memories that came from living amongst such a creative and diverse community. My job was essentially to foster the GreenHouse community within the residence and support the needs of the students. When I was hired for this job, I was told that my leadership qualifications met all of the expectations that GreenHouse was looking for. I came into this role I thought that I was going to help make a huge impact on the students, however the exact opposite happened. Thank you so much to all the incubator students for teaching me what it means to be a leader, what it means to be a team player, and most especially what it means to work hard, inspire others, and chase your dreams. It has been such an honour and privilege to work with you all over the past year. Thank you for letting me share these experiences with you in GreenHouse! I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours and may you always look back on GreenHouse and be proud of your accomplishments.
Spring 2019 Social Impact Showcase with GreenHouse
Convocation in June 2019 with my gals since day one :)
When I moved back home after finishing my degree I was hired to work the front desk at Top Dawgs Fitness and Training. I loved working behind the desk of a gym I have called home for the past four years. I felt like I was able to give back to a community that has always meant a lot to me. I used to be so shy when I first walked in the gym but since getting hired, I met so many more passionate and strong people, and it truly made for a fun relaxing summer. I owe many thanks to Josh Gervais, Roger Gervais, Dan St. John, Drew Held and Casey Ker for always making my time in the gym so motivating and fun! I would not be the paddler I am today without the strength foundations I have been able to develop in that gym.
Rowing my way through the CrossFit Open 20.5
In April of 2019 I was surprised that I was nominated and won the Female Athlete of the Year award in the City of Welland for my 2018 SUP accomplishments. This included competing in my first international competition at the ISA World SUP and Paddle board Championships in Hainan China. This award lifted me up more than I can put into words, especially after coming off some pretty serious injuries I was recovering from in the off-season. Sometimes I find my off-season to be really hard. Hard to stay motivated. Hard to be positive. This award made me realize that all of my hard days training 100% worth it.
Absolutely honoured to have received this award! Thank you Krista Bowie for the nomination and for all of my friends and family support
In May of 2019 my brother and I hopped on a plane and headed straight for Sidney B.C. for the CSA Surf Canada Team Trials. After competing in China last year, I knew that I wanted to fight for a spot to compete for Team Canada internationally again. This competition was probably the hardest stand up paddling races I have ever competed in. So many factors were against me. I had come off an excruciating injury with my lower back only a week prior. I couldn’t get out of my bed without help the first few days! I recovered enough to paddle, but not enough to give my all into the hard weekend of racing. I also came down with a cold that left me voiceless, and coughing during the whole trip. Therefore I still had fun spending time with my brother and cousins touring Vancouver Island, racing in the ocean (which went from bitter cold on the Saturday to sunshine and flat water on the Sunday) and learning more about the other side of our beautiful country. I finished 5th at nationals and was truly disappointed in my result. I also took a step back to reflect and gave myself the pat on the back I deserved for competing despite being sick and injured. This competition only motivated me to train even harder for the upcoming summer for my season on the Ontario SUP Series.
Saturdays windy, choppy and freezing race. I had to wear booties and put wax on my paddle because it was pouring rain!
Coming home I was looking forward to my summer of running the SUPKids camp in Niagara with Paddle Niagara for a second year. We had a wicked time teaching kids not only to stand up paddle, but also how to be an environmentalist. I was so lucky to spend every single day on the water this summer with a paddle in my hands for this job. We truly believe that when kids fall in love with being outside, they will one day want to protect it. This program empowers everyone to do better for the planet while participating in SUP.
Teaching the SUPKids program with the children of the RAFT program
Of course no year would be complete without another annual On Board event. This year was the sixth year my family and I have hosted the SUP fundraiser in Welland Ontario along the Welland Canal. We had a record breaking 102 participants on the water this year and raised over $40,000 for brain cancer research with the Canadian Cancer Society. You can learn more about how the event turned out here. The event would not be possible without On Boards generous 18 sponsors and endless participant donations. Everyone filled my heart with so much love this year. To those who came and donated thank you for remembering Julia Turner, Lynn Lambert, Dalton Jacques and McKenna Modler.
Photo courtesy of Surf The Greats. Ontario SUP Series race at On Board 2019
It was hard to come down from the high of summer. I spent almost all of my days paddling whether it was teaching SUPKids, exploring the wilderness or racing. I had another successful season (my 4th year to be exact) on the Ontario SUP Series coming second overall. I had missed a certain amount of races to reclaim the elite overall title for a second year but plan to hunt it down for next year…
Photo courtesy of Warren Won. Ontario SUP Series in Wasaga Beach
September 2019 came with new adventures and challenges. I officially started my masters program at Brock University in Recreation and Leisure Studies, which intimidated me at first, but I was able to make new friends and continue to research a topic that I am very passionate about. You can read more about that experience here. I was also lucky enough to visit one of my best friends in Kingston Ontario where we visited Wolf Island by Ferry, visited an art gallery, found Waldo and ate some delicious food!
It was a little bit windy by the lake…
October, November and December were quiet months for me. I put my head down and hit the books HARD. I applied to the Government of Canada’s SSHRC application for funding for thesis, started my literature review as well as worked on my course load. I didn’t get to spend as much time with family and friends, but knew that this quiet time wouldn’t last long if I continued to work hard each and every single day. I also started a new training program hitting the pool twice a week with Edge Triathlon, CrossFit classes with Top Dawgs and paddling whenever I could on the Welland river.
Of course, I am the type of person to keep myself busy. I had to fill some of my down time with something else fulfilling. With timing on my side and an amazing boss, I was hired by Linzi Hawkin to be the new community intern for SUPKids. I feel so grateful that I have been able to find work that supports my beliefs, morals and promotes such a positive message for children.
Dad and I going over On Board plans
I can definitely say 2019 was a year I’ll never forget. It was a year of personal growth, struggle, strength, light and dark times. I wouldn’t change a single thing that happened this year for anything. Each and every experience I went through helped change me as an entrepreneur, athlete, daughter, sister, student and environmentalist. A lot of people say to me “Maddi you are always doing awesome things!” but if you have read this far, the takeaway I’d love for you to get from this blog is that we all struggle. We all have obstacles to overcome and mountains to move. But with a positive attitude, perseverance and good will, anything is truly possible. Continue to treat others with kindness and what you put into the universe will come back to you. Have a safe and happy New Years and may all the best come to you in 2020!
with lots of love - Maddi :)