by Julia Smith - SouthCentral Region 

The Sup El Camino Real is a 6.2 mile Sup Race in Bastrop, TX. I had only been paddleboarding for I did my first race. I raced the Sup El Camino 2023 for my first ever race. I won second place in 2023 on my IRocker inflatable. I said I would never do a race again on my inflatable. Linda could see my determination that I wanted to do better. October 2023 Linda offered to sell me her Naish racing board. I said yes! I brought home the new to me Naish racing board, and stared at it for many months scared to learn to paddle this board because of the fear of failing

Thanks to the encouragement of many good friends, I finally got out on the water with this board and really started to train. Let me say, growing up I was never in sports or clubs at school. I am the middle child, so I did have to fight for what I wanted growing up, which has stuck with me as an adult. I have an autoimmune disorder that is supposed to keep me from doing many things, but I have always said this autoimmune disorder is not going to keep me from doing all the things I want to do. When I decide there is something I want to do and be good at it, I put my all into it.

About seven weeks before the race I started weekly training paddle nights with Kenny Munn in New Braunfels, TX. Each week I came home sore and exhausted. Kenny pushed me each week with his encouraging words and bringing me different paddles to try so I could find a lighter paddle other than my SOL or iRocker paddle.
I have so many people in my life that have been encouraging and supporting me while I doubt myself that I would even place in the upcoming race. Saturday August 10, 2024 I showed up to Fisherman's park nervous about the race, had a panic attack, but had a few friends there to calm me down and cheer me on. I had set a goal to complete this race in one hour and twenty minutes. Once I got my Naish on the water Saturday morning I was ready. I just wanted to GO! I started the race and knew I could do it, but my legs were shaking and of course doubt filled my head.

So, after kicking the doubt out of my head and I focused on where I was and what I was doing I just paddled with all I had. I was able to keep up with one of the men that was out front of me who is an awesome paddler. At some point during the race I passed him, I was really focused and didn't realize I had passed him.

As I crossed the finish line, I heard Linda McCoy yell one hour twenty minutes! I was so excited to hear that. I was thrilled I completed the race in the time I had set for myself . Everyone finished the race and it was award time. When Linda called my name for 1st. place I couldn't believe it. Still brings me to tears thinking about it. All the women in the elite 18-49 group are very experienced race paddlers and here I am just doing my second SUP race on a racing board.

Hard work, determination and a great group of very supportive friends helped me to keep pushing myself when I was full of doubt and wanted to give up. My SUP family keeps growing!! Everyone I raced with Saturday have been very encouraging and positive. Never stop going after what you want. Never stop setting goals for yourself. Get that racing board, register for a race and get out there and do your best. Never give up on yourself. This past weekend has showed me so many things about myself that I did not know.

Thank you to everybody that believed in me when I didn't, that pushed me when I wanted to quit, and Thank you Linda for selling me one of your racing boards.