CANRVRSUP's Creator, Owner & Head Instructor

What makes Reta special?
Reta is Canada's first ever female Paddle Canada River Instructor Trainer.

If you haven’t met Reta she’s like whiskey in a tea cup, not what you expect when you take that first sip and she can knock you off your feet. In a good way she is SUP’s biggest cheerleader when it comes to getting women stoked to get on the water. It’s hard to say no to her.”
- Lisa Stocking

Certifications:
​Paddle Canada
Advanced Flatwater Instructor
 Advanced Flatwater Instructor Trainer
River 1 Instructor
River 2 Instructor
 River 1 Instructor Trainer
 Touring 1 Instructor
 Touring 2 Instructor
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Rescue 3 - Raven Rescue
Swift Water  Rescue Technician Instructor
Swift Water  Rescue Technician Advanced 
​Ice Rescue Technician
Technical Ropes Operator
Wilderness First Responder

Reta is a paddling enthusiast that specializes in whitewater stand-up paddling. 

This Badfish Athlete is the 2X Defending GoPro Mountain Games SUP Cross Champion and Whitewater SUP Slalom Canadian National Champion.
She has paddled on rivers throughout North and South America. Of all of these places, her favourites are the Kananaskis Valley in Alberta, the Trail Wave on the Columbia River in British Columbia and the Tana River in Ecuador.
In addition to SUP, you’ll find Reta going with the flow; singing her way down a river behind the oars, working on crushing bigger lines in her kayak or trying to roll an OC1. Reta just wants to be on the water!

 Reta fell in love with SUP after she was first introduced to it in 2010.  She believes it is a sport that anyone can enjoy and it’s as challenging as you want it to be. Progressing from flat water on lakes to whitewater on the rivers. As a River 1 Paddle Canada Instructor Trainer and Raven Rescue Swiftwater Instructor, she is competent and calm in any situation presented to her with her wide skill set.
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 The CANRVRSUP Instructor Collective was founded by Reta in 2021.  The goal: bring instructors together to grow a safe community of River Stand Up Paddlers through quality instruction and training. 
Heading into its third summer the stoke is high as Amanda Lapshinoff takes on a mentorship and instructor role alongside Reta. This dynamic duo enjoys training, teaching, racing and surfing anywhere there’s flowing water.

Meet Reta the Athlete

LISTEN TO A PODCAST INTERVIEW

Reta gives 200% in everything she does.  She is passionate about safety, increasing skill level, and maintaining our beautiful natural spaces while having fun. She is extremely generous in sharing her knowledge, leaving nothing out for “next time”, so as a participant in either a trip or a course you feel satisfied.  She is a great teacher seeming to have a natural sense of how to read and rate her students' progression in a logical manner; which coaxes a person out of their comfort zone, without pushing someone past their ability level so they feel confident in doing so and crave more progression.  Reta is always “on”, her enthusiasm for the sport of River SUP is infectious.  I am looking forward to more river trips guided by Reta in the future."  - Trish Rasmussen

Follow along with Reta

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