JoPro // Charger
Aloha and welcome to my new blog on Jolyn! I am stoked to partner with one of my favorite companies to bring you JoPro // Charger. I have been a JoPro for about two years now as I represent Jolyn in my paddleboarding and ocean sport. Hailing from the California coast in Coronado, the ocean is my greatest passion as I strive to live a life as close to its rhythms as possible.
My love affair with the water started back in the pool in Phoenix, Arizona when I was just 5 years old. I started competing in swimming when I was 7, and I swam all through my school days with the goal to swim for a division I university. I accomplished this when I was offered a scholarship to swim for Rice University in Houston, Texas. It was actually in Texas that I discovered Jolyn! Our swim team at Rice was one of the first teams to start sporting the Jolyn bikinis and onsies. I instantly fell in love with the suits as they were the first cute swimwear that I could actually wear during a practice or even a meet.
My passion for the water switched from the pool to the ocean when I became a beach lifeguard in Coronado, California where my family was living at the time. Although I grew up landlocked in Arizona, I always felt a strong attraction to the ocean and knew that this was where I wanted to be. When I started lifeguarding I also found my passion for paddleboarding. Most people think of paddleboarding as SUP, but I race on traditional, lay-down paddleboards. This style of paddling was attractive to me because it related directly to lifeguarding as we use paddleboards to make rescues.
I was right at home as a beach lifeguard on my paddleboard and as my days in the pool ended, I took my competitive side to the ocean. I remember having the goal to paddle the Catalina Channel in the 32-mile Catalina Classic my first year of competitive paddling and through myself into training mode. I ended up winning my first year in 2013 and I was hooked on the sport! The thing I love most about distance paddling is that you end up racing more against yourself and the natural elements of the ocean than any other competitor. The EXPERIENCE of crossing a 32-mile channel is what is most important. I love the challenge of ultra-distance paddling and pushing my body and mind to its limits.
Although my environment changed from the pool to the ocean, my swimwear preference remained the same as Jolyn also proved to be the best out there for my paddling and ocean lifestyle!!
I have been fortunate enough to travel and compete in some amazing places with my sport and represent Jolyn along the way. My most memorable experiences include paddling the Ka’iwa Channel in the Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard Race, representing the USA at the ISA World Paddleboard Champs in Mexico, and living/racing in a year in Australia.
I also compete in lifeguard competition where I race for my local beach in Coronado and have been able to represent the United States in international competition. I am an avid surfer and when the waves are good my surfing becomes my priority. In addition, I love strength training in the gym and also flexibility training through my yoga practice.
I am currently in intense training mode for the 2016 Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships which is in about three weeks on July 31. This will be my second crossing as I competed and won my division in 2014. I am looking forward to another amazing year in Hawaii and cannot wait to share this experience on the blog! I have been working with Jolyn in designing my outfit for Molokai 2 Oahu as feeling good (and looking good) in my apparel is a priority for me in a 6-hour race!
Welcome to my life and I cannot wait to share my adventures with my Jolyn family!!
Stay tune for part 2 of my Pilot…
XOXO Charger