Nigel Dennis, Sea Kayaking UK, introduced my talk about my circumnavigation of Australia with: “…not bad for a girlie…”

I got hooked myself on my first international symposium in Anglesey 2004 by listening to Shawna and Leon‘s talk here on this stage about their circumnavigation of Iceland.

I was back in 2007, and was fascinated again, listening to Rotem Ron’s slideshow being the first person to solo circumnavgate Iceland.  

Three weeks later I started my own first big trip, the circumnavigation of Iceland with Greg Stamer, with only seven days of preparation. We finished in the record time of 33 days only…

 The same year 2007, I paddled around New Zealand South in solo record time, supposingly the toughest of the BIG islands. But it gave me still no invitation to talk on the “Holy Stage”…

Pictures by Peter Kane, Escape Kayak Center

Ok, I thought, then I probably need to paddle around a whole continent, *and* to change my boat brand…”girlies” need to do a bit more…

picture by Vaughan Roberts

It worked! Thanks, Nigel!

I hoped I inspired not only “girlies” with my talk…