When Sage Donelly was two years old, her parents geared her up, plunked her down in the front cockpit of a Topoduo, and set off down a series of class II and III rapids on their local river. Ten years later, the family is still running rivers, although Sage now has her own boat, a roll and an arsenal of freestyle moves.

The 12 year-old kayaker hasn’t had it easy – she lives with Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Disease and Thyroid disease, sometimes making her boating harder to do, but she says it also contributes to her success. 

“Having Diabetes definitely influences my paddling, but I think it makes me a better paddler, because it makes me more in tune with my body,” she says, “my blood sugars can get low before I compete, so I get weak, shaky, or nauseous and then I need a few minutes for the sugars to get into my body.”

Hot off of a win against Emily Jackson – who is 11 years her senior- at the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado this past July, you would never know that Diabetes affects her boating. When asked about how she reacted to the win, she says, “Luckily, Emily was very pregnant, but it was still very humbling.”

 Whether it really was just luck that secured her top spot finish at the GoPro Games is unclear, as she has been cleaning house in all of her events in her age division, as well as some women’s pro divisions across the USA. Most recently, she won the Junior National Freestyle title at US Nationals in Pigeon Point, Tennessee, with an overall score of 520 points. At the Payette River Games in Cascade, Idaho this past July, she placed first in Junior Women’s freestyle, second in Women’s SupCross, and fifth in the Women’s Downriver Sprint and Boarder Cross Double Crown – pretty impressive when you realize that most of her competition is at least twice her age.

 Since she spends most of her time paddling to compete, she is homeschooled throughout the winter so that she can focus on her boating – bouncing from state to state throwing huge front loops in her Rock Star on her favorite rivers, some of which include the Colorado and the North Fork of the Payette Lower 5.

The next year will be dedicated mostly to just improving upon skills she already has, and her hope is to come out of the 2014 GoPro Games victorious. Down the line, she’s hoping to transition from the regional team to Jackson Kayak’s Factory team and compete in international freestyle and slalom events, including the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Although she can’t compete internationally for three more years, she’s still excited to be out on the water everyday. 

She has some sage advice for younger, female paddlers who may be inspired to take up kayaking, “Even if you’re really scared, work through your fears,” she says,  “It will be worth it in the end and you’ll never regret it.  Try to find other girls to paddle with, but mostly just get out on the water and have fun!”

To keep up with Sage, visit her Facebook page, or her website. 

When most adventurers go out on expedition, chances are they will be taking along top of the line equipment. Unless, of course, they’re trying to bring awareness to a dying tradition.  

This month, a group of young paddlers sets out on a 1,000-kilometer journey across Baffin Island, in Canada’s Arctic Ocean, using only the kayaks they have built themselves following traditional Inuit designs.

The Pittarak expedition includes dynamic siblings Eric and Sarah McNair-Landry, who are no strangers to gruelling expeditions. In 2007, they kite skied over 2,300 kilometers in Greenland in hopes of inspiring youth to get outdoors, and in 2009, they completed the first non-vehicle-supported kite-buggy trip across Mongolia’s Gobi Desert—an impressive feat lasting 35 days in one of the world’s harshest environments. Joining the duo are Katherine Breen, a doctor and yoga instructor, and Eric Boomer, a professional kayaker and photographer well known for completing numerous first descents on raging rivers.

The group built their kayaks at a local high school in Iqaluit, where they hosted interactive workshops over the winter and spring, giving students the opportunity to build their own traditional qajaqs, an Inuit word for kayak. Kayaking traditions in northern Canada date back at least 4,000 years but have been in serious decline over the past century.

“Working with the students and teachers in Iqaluit has been a fantastic experience. Several students showed off their impressive woodworking skills,” says Breen, who’s also a doctor in the community. The expedition aims to inspire native youth to build and use their own qajags, and rekindle a love for the great outdoors.

The first official five days of the expedition will see the team adding the final touches to their kayaks in Pangnirtung. While there, they will sew the nylon casings, lash the boats and apply several layers of polyurethane to the outsides of the qajaqs.

“After a lot of hard work and planning it will feel great to put our boats into the water for the first time,” says Eric McNair-Landry. The team will first traverse the Penny Ice Cap by ski, and then navigate their way through the interior of Baffin Island, travelling through Auyuittuq National Park. For eight weeks they will follow a traditional hunting route starting in Cumberland Sound and eventually leading them to hamlet of Cape Dorset on the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

While the team agrees that the harsh Arctic environment, and things that come with it, such as polar bears and shifting sea ice, pose a threat, Sarah McNair-Landry says the biggest challenge is almost behind them—preparing and outfitting the qajaqs for the two month expedition.

To find out more about the expedition, visit www.pittarak.com.

This article first appeared in the July issue of Paddling Magazine, read it on your Apple or Android device or on your desktop. 

This spring, history was made when Eric Jackson qualified for his 25th consecutive year as a member of the USA Freestyle Team. Qualifying at the team trials on the Nantahala River in North Carolina, EJ came in second place—behind his son.

From panhandling on the streets of Washington, D.C. in the early ‘90s, to becoming a world champion, the life of EJ has been far from dull. Pursuing his paddling career by traveling North America with his family in an RV, EJ and his wife, Kristine, raised a family of whitewater champions.

“Kristine has always been supportive of my paddling regardless of what that means in terms of money,” says EJ. “I just never let life get in the way of paddling and that has allowed me to develop my skills, and be able to make a living as a kayaker.”

After a lifetime of hopping from river to river, it’s no wonder the Jacksons stand high on the podium. It’s a four, three, two, one countdown for the family. EJ is a four-time world champion, son Dane a three-time, daughter Emily a two-time world champ and son-in-law, Nick Troutman, has won the title once.

In addition to his success on the water, EJ is also a founding member of Jackson Kayaks. Starting in 2004 in Sparta, Tennes­see, Jackson is now one of the top producers of whitewater kayaks worldwide. Proudly made in the U.S., Jackson boats are expected to have a strong presence at the 2013 ICF Freestyle Kayaking World Championships this September.

This championship competition will be a homecoming of sorts for EJ. The last time the championships were held in the U.S. was in 1993, when EJ stood on top of the podium for the first time. Since then he’s been inducted into the International Whitewater Hall of Fame and become one of the most decorated paddlers in competitive kayaking.

Staying healthy is integral to a long career in any sport. “I have had my share of injuries, but, luckily, none have stopped me. The adage, ‘There are old kayakers and bold kayakers, but there are no old, bold kayakers,’ rings true,” he says.

At the American team trials this spring, Dane stood above his dad on the podium with a score of 453, EJ followed with a score of 403.

“I can’t imagine it being any less competitive,” says EJ about his on-water relationship with Dane. “We are hardcore competitors, but we are there to help others achieve their best performances as well. I tell him how to do better and he tells me.”

Catch EJ and the Jackson family in action this September 2 to 8 on the Nantahala River in North Carolina.

This article first appeared in the July issue of Paddling Magazine, read it on your Apple or Android device or on your desktop.