SUP Connect Woman of the Year 2020
The most recent question I have been asked by my friends, podcasts, and other media accounts is “what does this award mean to you!?”. It’s pretty unfathomable that it took me almost two months to finally be able to answer this question wholeheartedly and comprehend everything that has come with the award…
When I woke up on August 13th 2020 it felt like a normal day. I was drowsily pouring my coffee as I looked down at my phone. I saw three notifications on Instagram saying “congrats on your award!”. To my surprise, I was confused. The only thought in my mind was “what award?”. I was in a rush to get to work, so I put my phone away and ran out the door. Before I arrived to work I stopped at a Tim Hortons to grab another coffee and used the wifi to check my phone again to realize what award I had won. Once I remembered about the ‘SUPConnect Awards’ I couldn’t believe I had actually won. Not only did I win the SUPConnect Woman of the Year award for 2020, but my fellow Canadian friend Mike Shoreman won SUPConnects Man of the Year award as well! The Canadian crew sure made a statement in the paddling world for 2020! To find out the criteria and why we won you can read SUPConnects’ article here.
Paddle Niagara announcing to the Niagara Penguins that I had won the award earlier that morning.
Almost two months later I have finally found the words to write about the award and the full scope of it’s meaning. When I think of this award, I am truly humbled, motivated, and inspired by it…
Humbled. To even be considered for this award was extraordinary. By no means did I think back in June that I deserved to be recognized and stand amongst so many incredible female athletes. It’s not that I didn’t consider my efforts in the SUP community to be as important as they are, I just knew that there were so many other incredible, strong women doing so many phenomenal things that also deserve to be recognized. By winning this award I am still humbled by the women around me and I only hope to continue doing great things in order to live up to the expectations that have been set up by them. Women are truly leading the way in this sport and I only wish to keep growing to be like them.
Throwback to competing at the ISA World SUP and Paddle board Championships in Hainan, China, 2018. Standing on the start line with some of the strongest women I know.
Motivated. SUPConnect Woman of the Year. Wow. To say that is still surreal. I have never been more motivated than ever to continue living up to that name. I have never been more motivated to train harder, stronger and faster than ever before. I want to continue to do my best in this sport and make my way up the ladder as a professional athlete. Not just for myself but for everyone who has stood behind me. I owe it to my friends, my family, my sponsors and my SUPKids. Now that I have earned this award, I want to be the dark horse next year… I want to show up at a race and give it all I got. I have to. It’s all I think about all the time.
The last race before the pandemic winning the Toronto Indoor SUP race, January 2020.
Inspired. It’s now October and I am still getting lots of congratulations on the award. You all have no idea how much this means to me. It not only continues to humble and motivate me, but it comes with this feeling of inspiration as well. I am not only inspired by the other women I was nominated with, but also from the amount of support I have received. I had no idea just how much my efforts were recognized until I received the amount of congrats that I did. I still am immensely grateful for everyone’s thanks and inspired to continue down the path of hard work and determination. I am inspired to be the best version of myself on and off the water because of all of you. So thank you all very much for pushing me to be the best I can be. I am inspired to do the best I can because of you. I am no longer afraid to go after my dreams and open my heart because of how much you have all lifted me off the ground. That’s probably the closest I can get to describing what the SUPConnect Woman of the Year 2020 award means to me… so thank YOU once again! I am truly forever grateful.
Featured in the NOTL Local and I finally found a copy of the article on Queen St in Niagara-on-the-Lake!!