Pieces of Advice for the Next Keeners by Tilly Knight

Outfit your boat so that you can fit good water shoes while sitting in it. Bring not just a shorty, but also a drytop in case of unexpected cloudy or rainy weather. Bring a journal to record what you did each day at Keeners. Set an alarm for each morning at 7:45 in case your Keener mom arrives late or forgets to wake you up. Wear longer pants or shorts while kayaking to prevent your knees from running too much in the boat. Don’t forget to ask for veggies and fruits on your grocery order list. Make banana bread and cookies! If you forgot to bring insect repellant or insect itch relief cream, buy it at Safeway when you go. Do full body tick checks each night before going to bed in case some are hiding. When it gets hot take a cold shower before going to bed and/or wet a towel with cold water and lay it over yourself. Stretch before and after you go kayaking to stay less tight. After a full day of spending time in the Ottawa river scrub your feet with soap and water, dry them off, put Tinactin powder on them and then socks overtop to prevent nasty foot rot. Treat any wound, small or big, unless you want an infection. On the weekends take one day to fully rest (not kayak). But maybe go swimming instead. Do your laundry in the middle of the week instead of on the weekends, because that’s when everyone does theirs. Take advantage of all the flat water! Try to learn as much as you can from the coaches. Ask them questions! Sauce up your chicken. Remember to re-apply sunscreen! Have fun, because it goes by quick!