‘Paddleboarding has done me the world of good’
After being widowed, Sharon Kempson, from South Molton, North Devon, was keen to try something new to cope with her loss.
Inever believed in soulmates until I met George. Our eyes met across the room 10 years ago at a 1970s-themed fancy dress party. We fell in love and married on the Greek island of Skiathos in 2016, with 15 members of our family as guests, including my daughters, Anna, now 27, and Georgina, 21. It was very intimate; a perfect wedding. We moved from Milton Keynes to Devon for a new life. George and I did everything together. Weekends were spent walking our labrador, Peggy, along the beach. We enjoyed going to the gym and we took line dancing classes; we weren’t very good, but it was a great way to meet people.
But, very sadly, last October George was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He passed away five weeks later. It was totally unexpected and I miss him so much. It’s been difficult to return to a lot of the things that we used to do together.
I was keen to have a go at something new. I’ve always loved swimming and being in the sea. I had watched other people paddleboarding and I thought it looked like good exercise and that it would be a nice, calm thing to try.
When I arrived at Waterborn Stand Up Paddle School, I felt excited rather than nervous. The instructor, Crispin Jones, fitted me with a wetsuit and a life jacket. It was important that I knew what I was doing before I entered the water, so he started by teaching me how to adjust my paddle and how to steer the board properly. I was barefoot and the water was absolutely freezing! Surprisingly, the board was very stable and not too difficult to get on to – I just had to put one leg on, then quickly lift the other, and off I went.
We started on our knees and paddled up to a buoy a few times so I could practise my technique. Then, a few minutes later, I tried standing up. As I placed both my feet flat on the board, my legs shook crazily as all my muscles tried to engage. I slowly unbent my knees a little more until I stood completely upright; I couldn’t believe I didn’t fall in! I was surprised at how easy I actually found it to paddle, while standing at the same time, as I don’t have a particularly strong core. We slowly paddled up and down the estuary; it just felt so relaxing to be out on the water in the fresh air and I couldn’t stop smiling.
After paddling for an hour, we pulled up to a little beach on the other side of the water, where we sat on the sand and had a break, before paddling back. When our two hours were up, I didn’t want to stop; I could easily have stayed on the water for another hour. I did feel quite stiff afterwards, so I enjoyed a long bath when I got home, but I didn’t ache too much the next day.
I feel that paddleboarding has done me the world of good. It’s something George would never have done and it’s like I’ve finally found something for myself that I really enjoy. The best bit is that it’s suitable for all ages. I am an admin assistant for a workwear company and we’re now planning to do it as a team-building day. It’s calming, great exercise and, for me, there’s no better feeling than being out on the water.
Thanks to Waterborn SUP School and Red Paddle Co. For lessons in your area, visit learn2paddleboard.com
It just felt so relaxing to be out in the fresh air. I couldn’t stop smiling