By CARMEN PETRIE
A Nakusp resident will be part of a three-day, two-night stand up paddle board journey in Saskatchewan this weekend.
Jodee Meyers’ life experience and interests took her to Squamish this past April where she met Chad Guenter of Canmore, one of two instructors in a SUP river skills, rescue and leadership training camp. Guenter is also the founder of the initiative Keep Calm Paddle On, an organization that raises awareness about mental health and also supports children in foster care and those with special needs.
When Meyers learned about the organization, she knew it was a perfect fit for her and one she was keen to support as it champions causes near and dear to her heart. Meyers is a mother, yogi, paddler and works with foster children as well as youth on the autism spectrum in Nakusp. The parallels between her life and the work Keep Calm Paddle On is doing were clear.
Over the course of the training camp, Guenter invited Meyers to join him and his crew of 20 on a self-supported SUP river trip tracing 150 km of the South Saskatchewan River. Meyers says she is honoured to be a part of this upcoming journey. Echoing Guenter’s sentiments she says “water can heal if you let it.”
Having been introduced to stand up paddling two years ago, at precisely the time she was experiencing major transitions in her personal life, Meyers says SUP guided her through, helping emotionally and physically. Paddling gave her the time and space for self-reflection, self-care and the tools to fight depression. Water does heal is a sentiment held not only by Guenter, Meyers and their peers, as shown by the increase in our own community of people spending time on the water, kayaking, paddling, and floating.
Meyers enjoys sharing her passion for SUP with the youth she works with. She has also recently been teaching intro to SUP and SUP yoga classes. She is hoping to share her knowledge of our area with the crew while on the South Saskatchewan River. Keem Calm Paddle On has already expressed their plan to come to BC next summer.
If you are interested in learning more about Keep Calm Paddle On, visit kcpo.ca or email info@kcpo.ca. Funds from the sale of Keep Calm Paddle On merchandise go to causes the initiative supports.