Master Trainer: Astrid Vanderlee
Location: Cochrane, AB, Canada – operating at Ghost Lake, Rocky View, AB, Canada
Certifications: WPA and PIF L1 and L2 master trainer Paddleboarding, First Air incl. CPR & AED, AEC, Certified SUP kids school
Instructor Bio: Even when I was a little girl, I was into all kinds of sports: from windsurfing, swimming and gymnastics to horse back riding,tennis and ballet. But the type of sport that remained as a red line throughout my life is water sports. I just love being in, on and around water.
I’m born and raised in the Netherlands, a country where there is access to water practically around every corner. We emigrated in 1999 to landlocked Calgary, Canada. Quite the adjustment for a water person as myself. I sold my windsurf board and replaced it with ski’s and a snowboard.
During a ski trip I had a snowboard accident and broke my elbow. I had to have surgery and they were able to rebuild my elbow with metal. For physical therapy and to gain strength back in my arm I had to exercise. My love for the water and with a wind surf background, paddle boarding was on top of my list. The big bonus for me was that one of the many benefits of paddle boarding is that it is useful in the rehabilitation of injuries.
After signing up for a introduction session I was hooked. To improve my skills and avoid any or worsen my existing injuries, I signed up for SUP classes to learn paddling the proper way. No stopping me anymore. The following couple summers I worked together with a SUP coach to improve my skills.
Through Paddle Into Fitness I became a WPA Level 1 SUP instructor and continued to become a certified WPA Level II Master Trainer Paddleboarding.
Living walking distance from a beautiful lake close to the Rocky Mountains, there was no doubt that I had found my way back to the water and water sports. Shortly after PaddleAway.today was born, a paddle board school for everyone who likes to learn how to paddle board, no matter their age or ability.
We care for our waters and environment. And in order to combine these two, we also became a certified SUPkids school providing summer camps for children between 5 and 12 years young. Our SUPkids not only learn how to paddle board but we also teach them about safety, the effect of plastics and waste in our waters and how to keep our waters clean through games, assignments and going on small adventures.
Since our summers are short in our corner of the globe, we do continue throughout the rest of the year to spread ‘the paddle stoke’ through workshops and 1 day camps for our SUPkids.
