By Quinn Goddard

My name is Quinn Goddard and I’m 16 years old from Truckee California. This is my second year coming to Keeners, but last year was in West Virginia due to the Canadian border being closed.

Last year might have been two of the best weeks of my life, I learned so much about kayaking and myself. And so far this year has also been just amazing. Every day has gone by in a flash. Before coming to the Ottawa I thought it would get boring doing the same section everyday, but with all the games, challenges, and activities we do I could never get bored of this river.

There have been many special moments this week but so far for me my favorite was on Friday afternoon some of us went out for an afternoon sunset surf session above Keenerville. There was no one else out there and we could just do laps on some of the best waves I’ve ever been on. Out there I realized how special this sport is and how very few kids will ever experience what we did this afternoon. Also I realized how beautiful the kayaking community is; even though I’ve known some of these kids less than a week, this afternoon it felt like I’ve known them my whole life. Everyone laughing and cheering for each other no matter their skill level or who they are is so amazing to see in a community. The first of our 3 week session has been a huge success and I look forward for another 2 weeks!!!