I'm so happy to shine the spotlight this month on Jaime Levi. Jaime is an amazing mom to Ayla (7) and Charlie (3). Watching her rediscover kayaking this season has been more than inspiring.
I know we have a lot of parents who are also kayakers in our club, and her story is so relatable for all of us, so please read on!
Jamie first discovered kayaking in her early 20s while on a solo trip through New Zealand. Four days on the Buller River with the NZ Kayak School ignited her passion for the sport. As Jamie puts it, "kayaking is so hard, but it takes you into the most beautiful places, and you can paddle until the end of your days--what a sweet life that will be!"
But after starting a family, like many of us, she found it challenging to get back on the river. The demands of motherhood led to less days in her kayak, and that led to a loss of confidence in her skills. This cycle is so common for many moms (and dads) in many sports, but especially in kayaking. For Jaime, it was heartbreaking to think she had lost the skill set and confidence to get back on the river.
A friend recommended joining the Roaring Fork Kayaking Club, and it turned out to be exactly what she needed to reconnect, not only with the whitewater community, but with herself. She spent over 20 days on the river with RFKC, more time than she had managed in the past decade, and even capped it off with a spicy lap on Westwater with her family at the end of the summer. "It was like getting plugged in after a long time of being kind of half there. Now I am all in!"
For Jaime, the return to kayaking has brought a powerful sense of accomplishment and joy. She describes the feeling as euphoric: "I felt proud of myself and strong on the river, and excited instead of gripped."
Balancing kayaking with the demands of family life is not easy. Fortunately, Jamie's husband, Brandon, also a paddler, understands her need to prioritize time on the river. Jaime says the big challenge, relatable to most parents, is that it's impossible to be in all the places you're needed at all times. "I can't always make dinner and get the kids to bed and go to work and also play until dark in my boat or go on a multi-day river trip with a bunch of rad ladies without disrupting the balance. I had to be willing to prioritize the time on the river, just for myself, in order to show up better for the family."
Jaime has her sights set on new challenges on the river, including running Slaughterhouse with confidence, and honing her river safety skills to be an even better teammate on the water.
As she reflects on her journey with the RFKC, she said that the club's support has given her "wings to fly". She's looking forward to giving back and growing even more within the community. She's rediscovered not just her love for kayaking, but a part of herself that had been waiting years to resurface.
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