I started paddling in 2018 because I wanted to lose weight and be outside. Found my local Dragonboat team and fell in love. Bought an oc1 the following year and started OC6. I love steering and learning how to surf my oc1 in the small-ish waves we have here in Florida. I paddled hard and nonstop (there’s only 1 season in Florida and that’s paddling season ;) until injury and burn out have made me rethink my future game plan. I love the sport and all the mental health benefits it brings to me. But for 2025, I’m interested in rediscovering the joy paddling once brought me but with a bit more mental space in my life for other things.

What were your favorite races from this past year? Any races that you’re looking forward to participating in? Jump onto Skool and write it in the comments. Make sure to like what other paddlers share too! This past week was a lower mileage week for the body to recover. (Still about about 30+ miles). The upcoming week will move into some intervals for me. Happy New Year to everyone! This is the last WOW of 2024. Here is 2024.12.5 WOW! A fun one! 10' Warmup (WU) 2(1/1, 2/2, 3/3) at 90%/active 10' Cooldown (CD) You will do two rounds of 1 minute on, 1 minute active, 2 minutes on, 2 minutes active, 3 minutes on, 3 minutes active. You’re climbing the pyramid twice. The active paddling can be as light as you want, but it should be light. Good luck! 1 more day for the leadership board. Current standings are: Lana, Kevin, and Janet! Top 30-day contributors will be winning prizes or $$$. 1st - 1:1 on-water session with me ($200 value) 2nd - 1 week of Personalized Training Program ($90 value) 3rd - 1 gift of a month to a friend for to join TLC Skool Community ($50 value) Note: must be redeemed within the following month. PS: I’ll be online for 30 minutes each week for a Tek-Talk where I share about what it takes to develop community-focused paddlers and leaders. Here’s a video from this past week about 3 strategies for new/intermediate paddlers. https://youtu.be/FC4p4qYlySU

My paddle journey started in May 2023. I paddled before that, but it was just for fun and mostly to take a cute photo with my dog. One day, OC6 from the HPOCC club surrounded my paddle board and I joined the club. The amount of adrenaline I experienced in my first-ever race was so high that my body was shaken for five more minutes after the race was over. That was the moment when I understood I wanted more. After the team season was over, I treated myself with a beautiful Cantare. The only issue was I had no idea how to paddle OC1. Tek, I found you on Instagram. We scheduled some 1:1 sessions and a program for me to follow. Over the year, I've made good progress, and still, there is a lot to learn. Paddlesport is quite a big part of my life now. It helps me to be fit, content, and focused, and more importantly, it helps me take care of myself better. I don't have specific goals, but I want to race and be confident in different water conditions, enjoy downwind, and paddle in various locations, especially remote ones like Hawaii.