I am so thrilled to welcome our first international guest to The Joy of SUP today! 

Vikki is a British-born adventurer  and founder of She SUPs, her paddleboarding business in Sydney, Australia.

She SUPS is an all women's community focussed on empowering women + girls through SUP adventures. 

Vikki moved to Sydney in 2015 + within a few months was hooked on paddling. First, it was kayaking, but then came SUP. 

Being on the water helped her process working in a toxic corporate environment, visa struggles, loneliness, being away from family + living with anxiety. Through kayak and SUP she gained strength, learnt new skills and found her identity. It helped her create a stronger connection to Country, build friendships and connect with and learn from Mother Nature. 

Conducting research, during the initial brainstorming stages of the She SUPs concept, Vikki was shocked (but at the same time not surprised due to personal experience) by the statistics around barriers to participation in adventure-sports for women, which were preventing so many women across Australia from gaining these benefits. 

As she read these studies she could definitely relate. Unfortunately, she had found that sometimes being a female adventurer/paddler could be tough, and yet, it really shouldn’t be. 

Therefore fuelled by her own experiences, and determined to provide a better, more supportive outlook for women Vikki decided to: 

1. Take on an adventure challenge to raise publicity and awareness of deeply-rooted discriminatory social norms and stereotypes that often prevent women from pursuing adventurous activities/outdoor sports and get the She SUPs mission out into the world!! This was the She SUPs Sydney Expedition where she paddle boarded 30 waterways of Sydney in 30 days during September 2019. 
2. Build an all women’s SUP community focused on creating a safe environment for women to try something new, learn, grow, connect with others and the planet and ultimately feel empowered through adventure. 

We also talk about:

• Her Connect to country adventures and retreats
• Lockdown challenges to support her community + raise money for women in Afghanistan
• Setting her clients up for success and the power of community and support
• Her favourite piece of Overboard kit
• Advice for someone who wants to SUP but feels unsure
• Her SUP online course
• Training with ASI in England 
• Winning a prestigious award  New South Wales (NSW) Office of Sport 'Her Sport, Her Way' Local Champion Award in recognition of her achievements in 2021 for increasing female participation in sport. 

Instagram: @shesups_
Website: www.shesups.com.au
Vikki is an Ambassador for Red Paddleboards.

Thank you so much to Bluefin SUP for sponsoring Season 3 of the podcast.

Any questions, please get in touch healthyhappyfifty@yahoo.com.

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