Competitive kayaking champion, 2004 Olympian, rodeo mom, and YETI ambassador Lauren Spalding joins us on the podcast. Lauren and Dave discuss her recent bout in the 2024 Kaiwi Solo Challenge, a competitive paddle crossing of the Kaiwi Channel, the treacherous body of water that separates the islands of Moloka’i and O’ahu. Lauren describes the series of events that landed her a second place finish in her division, how she gets her drive to continue competing, and the addiction she has to the burn of going the distance. She reflects on her upbringing, her early years on a canoe, and her father’s influence in her life as a paddler, recounting memories of being mesmerized by her surroundings and appreciating the priceless experiences she’s been able to have. She talks about working with YETI and the relationships she’s built with other ambassadors like musician and fly-fisher J.T. Van Zandt, and details her viscerally excruciating experience padding the Texas Water Safari with him. Lauren recounts her training and qualifying for the 2004 Olympics in Greece, the organized chaos of life as a rodeo mom, and proudly talks about how the resilient community of Maui have come together to rebuild since the tragic fires of 2023. She and Dave wrap it all up by answering Instagram questions from our listeners and the rapid-fire Lightning Round.
Learn more about Lauren and follow her here.
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