As Italo Ferreira was hoisted onto his friends’ shoulders following a World Title win, I got a phone call from my (future) Mother in Law to say after a decade of hoping, she had secured her dream of becoming a stand-up paddle guide in Norway next year.
Now these two seemingly different successes have one very important thing in common: Perseverance. It is a trait that is often overlooked when we see people succeed in life. Often the win itself is remembered and not the journey strife with setbacks to get there.
We learnt from Italo’s competitor whilst in Hawaii, that the Brazilian surfers on the World Tour had all been travelling overseas without their families since the age of 12 to compete in countries where they didn’t know the language. Undoubtedly, Italo would have spent years of his childhood before this in the water perfecting his surfing technique and has spent over a decade building his nerve, focus and drive to achieve a world title at age 25, against all odds.
Donna-Lou Nixon was a keen paddler but after a fight with cancer she was left with only the dream of SUPing Norway’s Fjords and had to cancel on two occasions for health reasons. Now, years on from that moment and after a making a full recovery, Lou has been selected to assist on upcoming trips on a Norway SUP tour to share her love of SUPing with others and keep them safe.
Here at Travel With A Paddle, we truly believe in the power of dreams. We are so proud of both Italo and Lou as we understand that neither of these achievements come easily, but instead take years of disappointments and setbacks until finally that moment of success comes into grasp.
The reason I am writing this is because nothing worth having comes easily. If you have a dream you want to pursue, start today or plan for the next available opportunity because the road will be long but if you keep going, you will get there eventually. So moving into a new year and a new decade, you must plan to throw everything you have at it and keep going despite the falls.
Whether it be improving a small aspect of your surfing technique, visiting a new part of the world, or cracking a solution to an environmentally destructive habit you want to change, we want to assist you in reaching your goal. We understand that even a little win takes time and dedication and we are here for you.
So, here’s to the power of perseverance. We wish you all the luck in pursuing your dreams.
Written: Clare Baranowski
