I didn't know what was *SUP*

Written by Lynne Hawthorne @lynne_sup_fitness 

I found myself in a rough place a few years ago, my kids were getting older and no longer depended on me as much as they had when younger. I suddenly had all this time again that I’d not planned. I also felt I didn’t know what my purpose was and felt I’d lost my identity and myself.

Nothing had changed in my husbands life, he was still doing what he’s always done but I felt – is this it, what now?

My moods were all over the place, I was bursting out crying while walking the dogs for no reason then felt bad about why I was crying. I have a stable homelife, family and secure job so I felt guilty as to why I was sad and felt I had no right to be sad as others had it worse and then I'd cry again.

Each day was like an act, I'd go to work, smile and portray this happy person, but inside I was screaming and everything was a fog I felt I was battling with daily. With all the extra time I had I did things around the home, garden, but that wasn’t enough – I felt that I was missing the point, but I didn’t know what. I'd always been into water sports and my sports and hobbies had taken a bit of a back seat while the kids were young. I had a paddleboard in the garage that we used on family holidays so I started to take it out alone.

Not being social media savvy at the time I didn’t know there were Paddleboarding clubs and although I’d pass lots of people out paddling and paddled in the place where my current club trained I didn’t think to ask if this was a club. It wasn’t until I mentioned to a friend that I was lonely and often sad and spent so much time alone she suggested I join a SUP Club, giving me names I could search on Facebook. I had no idea that there were clubs over FB and that was the start of a change of lifestyle for me. I registered for my local club, went along and was surprised that I'd spotted a few of the faces out. Had I been a beginner I feel it would have been easier for me to find a club as that’s the natural progression from lessons to club paddling, but as I'd been paddling years before the sport was popular I had no idea the clubs existed.

Meeting friends and getting out, stopping at cafes for lunch or a coffee, having a picnic on the board etc…. all took on a whole new meaning and with that my mood lifted. My family noticed that I was happier and more content, I was more productive at work – to me paddleboarding changed everything.

I then got into racing and regardless how far you take paddling it’s a place where you can meet others or simply solo paddle to get away from it all. 

– Through paddling I’ve found not only myself but made alot of friends along the way.

For me it was my saviour when I didn’t know what was SUP!

As for menopause…. What’s that? 😊