Thanking my favorite sponsor for Mother’s Day

For many years now, I’ve had the gracious support of Karen Green, the woman from whose loins I sprung forth more than two decades ago. She is known for her many accomplishments, the most notable of them being raising two extremely intelligent, funny, charismatic, good-looking, successful, and modest children. However, one of her lesser known accomplishments is her long running career as professional athlete support.

I have to give credit where credit is due; I would not be the unbelievable paddler I am today without my parental unit supporting me every step of the way. In the beginning, that support manifested itself as many forms of transportation. Slalom races on the weekends, driving to Tariffville Gorge nearly every day after school, and making innumerable trips up to Zoar Outdoor during the summer. I’ll admit, it was a pretty demanding job considering how little it paid.

Karen also filled many other positions, with the crowd favorite by far being her role as snack provider. Karen was able to win the hearts of many a paddler by following along various whitewater runs and stopping at pull-off spots to wait for my paddling cohort and I to arrive and indulge in all the best snacks. This job was not for the faint of heart either, considering all of the dangerous UV radiation she was exposed to each time she sat at a pull-off in her beach chair.

Karen’s versatility does not end there. Although I am appreciative of the transportation and snacks, the times that she really worked well above her pay-grade was the way she provided emotional support. She has always been there to keep me in check as well as give me that extra push when I needed it. Sometimes we all have trouble finding that within ourselves and I think mom’s were made for those moments.

Since I started kayaking, my mom has always encouraged me from afar and from the river bank. I am incredibly grateful to have such an awesome woman behind me as I move on to more amazing things.

Here’s a shout out on this Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms who make things happen and support all of us along our journeys. See you on the river!

-Katelyn