RvR SUP BLOG

River Of HOPE.

7/17/2021

So The Journey Begins

River Of Hope has formed organically with encouragement from others and my own desire to push boundaries.
It is out of my own comfort zone to even announce publicly that I plan to paddle 650 km for mental health. I’m excited to bring awareness and attention to this topic however I feel like it is the “clean” version of a complex common situation for many.
Raise money for a cause. This has been repeated so many times with numerous different organizations and events. It's honourable and noteworthy. It also feels like a superficial answer to a complicated problem.
My heart is full with the generous outpouring of support and people so readily wanting to donate to this cause. It’s overwhelming to realize how many people truly want to support my paddle down the river.
Let’s get real for a minute, many of you may not know me personally but if you do (luckily or unluckily) lol I am a very straight forward human being. It is what it is. Not what it’s not.
Mental health is not a neat package. It is ugly, scary and raw. It is not showering for days or weeks on end. Not caring about anything let alone yourself. It’s being in a dark hole and place that is lonely.
Sometimes it’s about coming so close to ending it all that you scare yourself so badly that you might possibly start to seek a solution or not. That’s if you have one available through resources, support or proximity.
Money is great. It can be used for support programs, training and outreach.
This journey down the river for myself will be painful, challenging and sometimes seemingly impossible. I am choosing to engage in this journey. We as a society have to remember that a mental health crisis is not something people choose to have or can snap out of like a “bad day”.
Here’s what I truly want to have happen before I go down the river. Honest conversation. Hard talks. Real emotion.
In a world more connected through social media than ever we aren’t seeing the whole story or being honest with ourselves.

I’m not asking for public announcements about your struggles. What I’m asking for is sharing. Share with a friend how hard life is right now. Tell family members that you’re not okay. Email me if you need to but if you are capable of it at this time start letting people know what’s truly going on. Find a therapist that works for you. Go on medication should you need it.
The irony is that we often don’t tell those closest to us for fear of dismissal or the dreaded: tomorrow will be better, don't be sad. Ugh.

IF SOMEONE OPENS UP TO YOU JUST LISTEN, ASK HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT, PLEASE DO NOT DISMISS IT AS NOTHING!!!

IT’S NOT YOUR JOB TO FIX IT...ALL PEOPLE NEED TO BE IS HEARD AND ACCEPTED.

So the real journey begins today. Not paddling down the river but by having meaningful conversations about mental health.

Mental Health.

It is slowly becoming more openly discussed. What once was in the shadows is being brought to the light.
My hope is one day having support for mental health is looked at as having a personal trainer for your mind. Initially, paddling down The Athabasca River from Jasper to Athabasca, AB was just that. A paddler pushing personal boundaries and exploring waterways. Sometimes we have to speak up before we stand up and paddle away. That is why partnering with the following organizations regarding mental health is so important.

Please check out the following:
Project All In
Center For Suicide Prevention
Brave Viking

The goal is simple enough. Raise $1 per kilometer paddled: $650 total. (Update: this has been easily surpassed). Intrinsically they’re all tied to the same context but each has a different story and path to follow.

The end game is the same. Stop the stigma, ease suffering and create conversation instead of silence. So, as I paddle the river on long physically and mentally exhausting days, I understand that I am choosing to inflict this on myself. Not everyone gets that choice. Many people live trapped in their own minds, unable to walk away from the pain.
For those people I paddle, bring light to the dark and stand up for!
Please join me virtually as I paddle and share your #riverofhopepaddle pics and stories too!
Follow me @lovensup and @reta.sends on Instagram August 10-20th, anywhere from 25-91 km distances down the river each day. There’s some amazing stories and coincidences to come out even before the paddle begins.

Lisa Stocking
CANRVRSUP Instructor
AQ Ambassador

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How to Choose A Great Instructor for You!

2/9/2021

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I have had another question to answer - “How do I pick a great instructor?” Well here are a few things to think about.

MATCH your instructor choice to your interests and goals. Seems obvious but maybe not. Where do you want to go with your paddling? Racing, touring, fitness, river, surf? Or maybe just get out and have more fun? Look for a matching background and matching vibe in your instructor choice.

I like to think about instructor PEDIGREE. Where did they get their training and experience from? Who were or are their coaches and instructors? Training. Certifications. Competitive backgrounds or paddling career highlights. And again look for that matchup with your interests.

And then there is the all encompassing EXPERIENCE. Paddling experience is one thing. Instructing, guiding and coaching experience are quite another. Look for both - but especially the latter. I have seen some great paddlers who are poor instructors and coaches.

Reta talking Hydrology in her Final River 1 IT Mentorship with Neil

One final word. Don’t fall for marketing hype. Claims about being “the best” or whatever, abound out there. Let the pedigree and experience of the company and instructors speak for itself.
Reviews and testimonials are definitely something to look for.

Hope that helps when you are trying to find or decide on a great instructor.
Author:
Neil Gilson
Paddle Canada River 1 and 2 Instructor Trainer
Coach and Mentor to CANRVRSUP's
Head Instructor Reta Boychuk

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What It Takes To Become A Great Instructor!

2/5/2021

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The last few years most of my work has been coaching and training aspiring SUP instructors. This post answers questions I have had about what it takes to become a great instructor - and also what to look for if you are looking for a great instructor, guide or paddle coach.

First off - Become a great learner. Learn your skills well. You don’t know what you don’t know. And you don’t find out what you don’t know and need to know as a paddler or an instructor unless you learn from the experienced guides and instructors already out there.

If you feel you have the skills, only then are you ready for instructor training and certification. Few if any self taught paddlers have the skills or knowledge to effectively or safely instruct and guide. Instructor training and certifications hone your skills, teach you how to teach, and perhaps most importantly subject you to the review and evaluation of some of the most experienced instructors out there. If you are scared of subjecting yourself to the scrutiny of an instructor course, if your ego can’t take it, then you are just simply not ready to be an instructor.

Next up - purposeful time on the water AKA ‘practice’. Taking courses is a great start but to be a great paddler and a great instructor you need to practice practice practice. Hone your skills and understanding on the water. Just “going out for a paddle” counts little toward the experience or skills needed to be a great instructor. I have in my paddling career done hundreds, probably thousands of eddy turns on the river. I practice almost every time I go out. Make practice into play. Your skills, your understanding of your environment, your ability to help your students gets better. Practice with purpose - all the time. Never stop.

And lastly - becoming a great instructor requires humility and compassion. Instructing isn’t about you. I look at instructing and guiding as a great privilege and responsibility. You are helping people achieve their goals and live out their dreams. If you are in it to ‘be’ an instructor, to ‘be’ a leader then you are in it for the wrong reasons.

To me that’s what it takes to be a great guide and instructor.

Authors:
Neil Gilson
Paddle Canada River 1 and 2 Instructor Trainer
Coach and Mentor to CANRVRSUP's Head Instructor Reta Boychuk

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CANRVRSUP COLLECTIVE: ON THE WATER, ON LAND AND ONLINE

2/3/2021

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*Paddle Board Courses:
Whatever your level; we can meet you there…

ON THE WATER

The CANRVRSUP Collective invites you to find your flow with us as we explore mountain waterways across Alberta and British Columbia. We are committed to providing Western Canada with quality paddle board programming, ranging from Flatwater to Flowing Rivers.

PHOTO: ASHLEY VOYKIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Inspire:
Flatwater is the launching point for novices interested in stand up paddle boarding. Learn about proper SUP equipment and safety gear. Find your feet, fine tune your stroke, and perfect your pivot turns through one of our comprehensive Basic SUP and Advance Flatwater clinics.

Empower:
Progress into your potential. Our collective aims to empower you to discover the river in a safe manner. We can help you broaden your own personal understanding of paddling and water hydrology as it relates to river environments.

Grow:
Explore your boundaries. Join an enthusiastic and welcoming community of stand up paddle boarders on a guided trip. Let us help you plan a self-guided adventure. Or challenge yourself by becoming a certified instructor and share the stoke with new people. The options are limitless.

PHOTO: ASHLEY VOYKIN PHOTOGRAPHY

ON LAND

Find us at paddle festivals and competitions, locally or internationally. We love sharing our passion of paddling with anyone who will listen. Sit around the campfire with us and share your stories. Catch us on shore; we’re happy to chat.

ONLINE

Quality information you can depend on is our mission, if you’re a beginner we want you to feel assured you’re accessing material that will keep you safe and help you garner an understanding of water as it pertains to paddling.

We’ve all been there Googling our way through something new, let us help you cut the learning curve time with helpful accurate information.

Check out our upcoming webinars demonstrating form and progressions. This interactive series will be developed with the whitewater paddler in mind.

CANRVRSUP = Unparalleled excellence in all aspects of stand up paddle boarding.

Contact Us Today! Let us help you find your feet on the water.

Authors:
Lisa Stocking and Reta Boychuk

*All instructors/training/courses mandated as per Paddle Canada Manual.

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Community
A CANVRSUP Blog

River Of HOPE.

How to Choose A Great Instructor for You!

What It Takes To Become A Great Instructor!

CANRVRSUP COLLECTIVE: ON THE WATER, ON LAND AND ONLINE

CANRVRSUP TEAM

Archives

Categories

CommunityA CANVRSUP Blog

River Of HOPE.

How to Choose A Great Instructor for You!

What It Takes To Become A Great Instructor!

CANRVRSUP COLLECTIVE: ON THE WATER, ON LAND AND ONLINE

CANRVRSUP TEAM

Archives

Categories

Community
A CANVRSUP Blog