To begin this story I have to digress a moment. My two daughters have been dragging me, kicking and screaming into the 21st century. They have very patiently coached – and are continuing to coach me – in the art of social media. They have got me blogging, tweeting and “facebooking”.
Most of my 50 something year old friends don’t get twitter. “I don’t understand it, who is interested if I have am having coffee or lunch” are the type of comments I get all the time. I silently agreed with them but persisted with tweeting and I am finally starting to “get it”.
Through my daughters and because of NoMu’s fabulous product range I started “following” – as in Twitter following, not stalking – Paul, from NoMu. In one tweet he generously offered to take the Goldberg Girls out for a paddle and to act as our guide.
We took him up on the offer and met one Saturday morning at Three Anchor Bay. We donned our life jackets, were giving a paddle, shown how it should be used and then seated in double kayaks were pushed into the water. It didn’t require any skill. The kayaks are wide and stable and there is little danger of capsizing. That was it, 5 minutes and we were off.
After initially concentrating very hard on my paddling, I relaxed and looked up to see the natural beauty of the Atlantic coast. We passed Signal Hill, Lions Head and then the 12 Apostles came into view. Table Mountain stood majestically in the background. It was magnificent. Paul kept up the chirps and didn’t give me any time to even consider that I may be feeling nervous. When we didn’t talk, the only sound was a splash as the paddle hit the water. We paddled out to a rig that was anchored in the bay. After what felt like a very short time but in reality turned out to be 2 hours we glided back onto the beach.
Not only was I hooked, my daughters were too. Over the next few mornings, when I was out walking, I kept staring at the sea – I felt like an addict who hadn’t had a fix – I wanted to be in a kayak.
I simply had to go again, so I took out a monthly membership to paddle with Kaskazi Kayaks the local kayaking company. I have been out four times since. When I was out with my daughter we spotted a seal lolling on his back in the water and using his fin to “scratch” his nose. The following week my husband and I saw 3 pods of dolphin. They swam on either side of us while we sat watching, quietly in our kayaks. It was inspiring and such a privilege to see.
I have a history of being “lazy” when it comes to sport. Other than swimming I never really enjoyed sports at school and found every conceivable way to get out of PT and extra mural sports. I found using machines at gym mind numbingly boring and kept having to rejoin because my membership kept expiring. This changed when I rediscovered my enjoyment of swimming. And now with just a few days to go until I turn 54 I find it remarkable that I have discovered a new and unexpected passion for paddling!
Sunday is my birthday and I’ve decided to celebrate in a slightly unconventional way. Rather than going out for dinner as we usually do, Kathy, my best friend since Grade 1 (Sub A), her husband, daughter and my family are going out for a paddle – hopefully we’ll see some dolphins – but even if we don’t I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.
Besides what’s on my doorstep, I found an international paddlesports magazine on the internet with articles on Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the Vltava River, Czech Republic and sea kayaking the Quirimbas, Mozambique. I have never heard of any of these places before and I may or may not get to them but there is a whole new world to be discovered and adventures to be had and that makes me feel so alive.
So for the “lazy” person I always believed I was, I am now out early in the morning at least four times a week, either walking, swimming or paddling. The fact that all three are excellent forms of exercise is the cherry on the top.
The moral of the story, rather than struggle with doing something you hate or exercising because you think you should, try new things, be open to new experiences, conquer your fears because you never know what passion you may find. And by the way thinking you’re too old, isn’t an excuse!
Tags: healthy lifestyle, exercise, Health, Weight loss, passion for paddling, paddling, finding passion, motivation, motivation to exercise, sports, kayaking
