After University, my desire to avoid traffic and cubicles kept me far from the corporate world. Instead of planning for retirement, I worked random jobs to save for plane tickets, hiking shoes, and travel books.

While whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River during a solo trip to Africa, I instantly knew I was going to be a raft guide and kayaker. This led me to the Ottawa River where my ‘real’ life began.

Catch a glimpse of it in my debut novel The River Away From Home.

A decade later, I quit my kayaking career even though I was at the top of my game; 3 Canadian Titles, 1 North American Title and a Worlds Medal. During this time I had also proudly been serving as the co-owner of a leading junior development program, which included coaching these young athletes to the top of their game, some resulting in the attainment of world medals.

The external expectation was to keep going but my heart was telling me it was time to pivot. The sensation you get from winning is great but fast fleeting, and I realized it was putting a band aid on my internal struggles - struggles that were too strong a force to deny.

Following a trail of magic, I left Canada for Hawaii and started a personal adventure centered around connecting to my intuition. Surfing, yoga, meditation, mushrooms, and immersing myself in an eclectic community of fabulous misfits were among those adventures.

Inspired by my experience as a pro-athlete along with the thrill of learning a new sport, I wrote another novel. Check out The Summer of Wonder here.