Maddi Leblanc - Canadian National SUP Team, non-profit founder, inspiring woman of the water

In Episode 59 we speak with Maddi Leblanc, an amazing young woman from Ontario, Canada who continually shares her passion for standup paddling / SUP. We hear of Maddie's discovery of the sport of SUP as a young girl, the evolution of her paddling in local rivers and Great Lakes. Maddie shares her story of how the loss of 2 women close to her inspired her to create her non-profit event, On Board, to raise money for cancer research through standup paddling. Maddie takes us through her competitive racing in the Ontario area and tells the amazing story of being invited to represent Team Canada in the ISA World Paddleboarding Championships in China and the challenges she faced during the event. Maddie shares some great thoughts on what SUP and being on the water means to her from a spiritual and environmental perspective and how she is actively sharing that with others through her own college thesis project and active speaking engagements. 

Thanks for sharing Maddi's ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of Maddi on Facebook, her website, and Instagram. There is also some fun stuff on the This Ocean Life Instagram and Facebook pages. We are also on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.

This episode is sponsored by Mile 22, makers of surf and paddle board straps — including world famous Monster Straps (which I LOVE and take on surf trips) — designed in California by folks who surf and paddle every day. Check them at www.Mile22.com.