“It's a pretty obscure sport. People that paddle definitely do it for the passion and not for the recognition. Personally, I set out with a goal to see how far I could get if I focused my energy and was disciplined in the pursuit of being one of the best all-around paddlers in the world. To get to where I am currently feels amazing. To know I've still got more room for improvement feels spectacular.”

“Having 18 months off really caused me to step-back and look at my training habits and lifestyle. I had a few shortcomings in my aerobic development that take a long time to fix. Having plenty of forced time off from racing was the best possible scenario to improve my health and go back to build my fitness from the ground up. I was eager to enjoy paddling outside of competition, so I took the time to plan and have a solo adventure where I paddled from my new back door on Hyco Lake (NC) all the way to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (NC), it was 333 miles and one of the most enjoyable trips I've ever taken. Outside of training, I took the time to focus on my online coaching business PaddleNinja.com.”

“I do think people are eager to get back to racing, even if it is mostly from a social standpoint. Personally, I won't be doing as much travel for numerous races in the future. I will be whittling down my key events each year, picking which ones mean the most to me or seem the most fun. Paddlers, in general, are environmentally aware, and I think some of the eye-opening statistics about the current climate crises may cause ocean athletes to curtail their travel to too many events.”     

“I would say so. But I certainly can't speak for everyone.”  

“I think we'll see new names arise in the pro-circuit. Some young guns have matured over the break, while some seasoned paddlers may have just taken the time to retire. There are so many names to watch, and at this point, I wouldn't discount anyone.”  

“The event dates have been very fluid thus far, which is understandable with the ongoing uncertainty. However, I'm trying to do a better job of planning my annual calendar for my health and career longevity. Not to mention the immense difficulty of traveling with or cost of shipping boards - right now the tour doesn't help with board transport - and I don't have sponsor support in this arena, and it becomes financially limiting. If the stars align, I would be happy to participate on the World Tour again.” 

“I currently have plans to race the Carolina Cup in November. It's one of the biggest races in the world, one of the hardest courses, and I can drive to it.”  

“The racecourse is unique in that it takes you through both ocean and intracoastal waters, navigates two inlets, battles tides, and enters and exits through the surf. It is an excellent test of a paddler's all-around skills.” 

“Depends on the year. As we all know, mother nature doesn't always play nice. Outside of some of the dedicated surf-zone races, it is up there for difficulty, especially if you end up battling a stiff tide. Not to mention, it's a half-marathon distance, so the grind is real.”  

“With travel restrictions constantly changing, I'm not sure yet. But as I mentioned before, I think everyone has had a lot of time to train and improve. I wouldn't discount anyone on the start line from being new or returning championship material.”  

“My new training regimen involves a lot of paddling for joy - for the sake of paddling. A lot less striving, a lot less training from a place of fear, with the mindset of ‘I don't want to lose.’ I don't train to win, either. I've been training intuitively, listening to my body and what it needs. When it wants intervals, I give it intervals. When it needs a long slow distance session, that's what I do. My strategy is to have fun. If I can't capture the title having fun, then I don't want it.”  

“I would like to secure top finishes in the ICF World SUP Championships in Hungary in September, followed by a solid performance at the Carolina Cup. In 2022, I'll be turning my focus to outrigger and attending my first Molokai Solo, the World OC1 Championships, followed by the IVF World Sprint Championships in London. If the APP World tour has dates that work around those events, and I can secure equipment at the races, I will attend those races as well for SUP.” 

“I've always thought that standard distances, and a set calendar for key events would help paddlers train properly and put on the best show.”

“Funny you ask. It isn't sustainable without financial assistance at the moment. I started PaddleNinja.com to help cover my costs to travel and compete, and I travel a lot to conduct clinics and workshops on paddling when I need to pay for my travel expenses. This can be exhausting, detract from my training, and often barely covers the costs.
I'm currently working on writing my first book alongside developing a consumer product for athletes with the hopes that I can "sponsor" myself through more business income. Ideally, a monthly stipend from a sponsor/investor would enable greater focus on my training and my ongoing projects. Although, something as simple as help from a marketing agency to run my social media and seek out and secure sponsor opportunities would free up my time immensely to train and work. Of course, I still do what I love as a career, and if it doesn't change, I'll just keep trying to make it work and inspire the next generation to go for their goals and not let anything stop them - least of all money.” 

“I successfully solo paddled from my house on Hyco Lake to Cape Hatteras; launched PaddleNinja.com and it's going swimmingly; I've been invited by the ACA to compete on Team USA in the ICF World SUP Championships in Hungary in September; my first book and a planner to help athletes reach their goals are both scheduled for release in January 2022; and, as previously mentioned, I successfully solo-paddled from my house on Hyco Lake to Cape Hatteras. I am editing and posting the daily videos of this 333-mile trip on YouTube.” Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQovy-VvGdjo14zx85taOPWYJBzYCrJyY

Thank you for your time, April.

“Season highlights would include visiting some of the biggest cities in the world and being allowed to paddle in places that you otherwise wouldn't be allowed. I'm very happy to have won the distance event in New York - which gave me the overall win for the event. I went into the Japan event with a lot of confidence and was able to take the win in the sprint event, and tie for first place in the points.”  

“For my first year on a professional circuit, and not having a lot of international racing experience, I feel great. I'm right where I'd like to be, having a blast, and learning a lot about being able to travel and race – travel is hard on the body. The only way to make this happen has been proper nutrition and consistency in training.”  

“I will be on the starting line, but I'm unsure of which race I would like to enter in 2019. The SUP race is one of my favorites because you get to head out through the surf. But, Surf to Sound Challenge is including more outrigger canoe events, and they'll have the 11-mile OC-1 race Saturday morning as well. I love paddling and racing my Puakea Designs Kahele and may jump at the opportunity to race that. I've been trying to attend more outrigger events in 2019, and those have truly been the highlight of my season.”  

“I enjoy the combination of ocean and flatwater paddling. I do attribute my win in New York to the conditions present in that race. I enjoy races where paddlers have more balance to focus on, and more conditions to work with. Paddling and racing in North Carolina has developed my abilities to race in rougher waters and find bumps that actually enable me to go faster than I would be able to in flat water alone.”