Dabbling In Paddleism Podcast

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with David Horkan, Irish ultramarathon paddler, adventurer, guide, and coach who just came in 3rd place K1 in the Vohondu Marathon in Estonia. We cover so much in this episode from getting started paddling at a young age through canoe polo, crossovers between show jumping horses and kayaking, the importance of consistent practice, the Liffey Descent, the Devizes to Westminster the race that changed his life, the Irish paddling scene and community, his attempt at the fastest solo circumnavigation of Ireland, the 2026 Vohondu Marathon, preparing the mind for ultra endurance efforts, the Irish Wildwater Racing Series, low intensity versus high intensity training, and guiding and coaching. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from David himself on this 55th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

David's Contact Info:

-IG: @dhkayaking

-Website: www.dhkayaking.com

David’s book recommendations:

-The Pacific Alone, by Dave Shively: https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Alone-Untold-Kayakings-Boldest/dp/1493058436/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1#detailBullets_feature_div

-Fearless, by Joe Glickman: https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-One-Woman-Kayak-Continent-ebook/dp/B00MJD6QE0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NHN81GYTJUNC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.a1zMLJJt6jZL9AZBUy-Gbtb67J33fd_M4Wo6rxKCgVU.57HEJ8S4IBF7J94sIkOYTkvJOOfLukEueYvf2o9EEqQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=freya+hoffmeister+joe+glickman&qid=1778632136&sprefix=freya+hoffmeister+joe+glic%2Caps%2C416&sr=8-1

-A Voyage for Madmen, by Peter Nichols: https://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Madmen-Peter-Nichols/dp/0060957034/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OGZ4F003K6QI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.IMVwQe9OQTea81Npl7ah097PG6PQ0RfbJRW3F94PEcqRoSEPoSmE7cKKYdL86E6pAJO-XE_meIlXRiBLEvqrabQVrOeQmYpQxwDpT73b9-V6aXLCphJGo_qb4KWcVqgR.EBxRkGSG362zGTIZU8TBdlHYD1T0lWfVyioswFCro2c&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+voyage+for+madmen&qid=1778632259&sprefix=a+voyage+for+madm%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-1

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Kendra Leibel & BeaV Vollhaber two adventurers and ultramarathon paddlers with a preference for unsupported challenges. I first want to give a shoutout to Joseph Gerard who suggested I interview these two last year. We cover so much in this episode from wing nights to backcountry Alaska living, the Everglades Challenge and the Water Tribe, resume building portages, the history of the Voyageurs Highway and the Kruger-Waddell Challenge, paddling under the Northern Lights, navigating by map and compass, seeing penguins in Florida, the importance of a positive attitude and mental fortitude, and the life changing impacts of ultra distance paddling. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Kendra and BeaV themselves on this 54th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

Kendra’s book recommendations:

-Beyond Grit, by Cindra Kamphoff: https://a.co/d/0gNGTSsH

-Woman of the Boundary Waters, by Justine Kerfoot: https://a.co/d/0d0tiNsG

BeaV’s book recommendations:

-My Side of the Mountain, by Jean George: https://a.co/d/03YmdD6F

Links:

www.bwca.com

www.watertribe.com

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Matt Taylor and Bobby Johnson, two elite ultramarathon paddlers out of Alabama and Florida, respectively, who have won back-to-back Suwannee 230 titles in ’24 and ’25 as well as the 2025 Alabama 650 as a team. We cover so much in this episode from learning from failure, the Texas Water Safari, broken boats that bring a team together better than Flex Tape, stomach issues and ultimatums, rescuing cats during the Suwannee 230, the Alabama 650, getting stuck on the same dock 2 years in a row due to storms, and paddling to win but more importantly to have a great time in the process. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Matt and Bobby themselves on this 53rd episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

Also, I just recently launched a website where you can find archives of all episodes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, see what’s coming down the pike in the “coming soon” section, and you can find a fully curated list of recommended reads from each guest that has come on the show in the Book Club section. You can find all this at dabblinginpaddleism.com.

Bobby’s book recommendations:

Endurance, by Alfred Lansing - https://a.co/d/02uEzQlv

Matt’s book recommendations:

Books by Rod Price - https://www.rodpriceadventure.com/home/rods-books/

In this episode, Chris Thomas gives his firsthand account of the 2026 California River Quest including the conditions, boat selection, and challenges along the course. Additionally, he discusses ways in which listeners can support the show at www.dabblinginpaddleism.com via a new merch store, membership opportunities that come with custom gear that only members will have access to, as well as donations.

Website: www.dabblinginpaddleism.com

Gear mentioned on this show:

-Solite neoprene boots

-NRS neoprene pants

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Trey Reaves and Emily McNeil, two highly accomplished paddlers who just came out on top in the 2026 Everglades Challenge. After meeting both of these characters in the 2023 Yukon 1000 it was great to sit down with them together and chat about how they both came through for each other in a solid team win in the EC. We cover so much in this episode from the supportive paddling community around Kansas City as well as the Water Tribe, the choose your own adventure aspect of the Everglades Challenge, treacherous aspects of the EC that set this race apart from others, navigation, in-race birthday celebrations, hallucinations and sleep deprivation strategies, and the bond developed between two paddlers suffering together. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Emily and Trey themselves on this 51st episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

Emily’s book recommendations:

The Pursuit of Endurance, by Jennifer Pharr Davis: https://a.co/d/0dUrnct0

Emily’s Social:

-FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1869413446655700

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Jennifer Fratzke, ultramarathon paddler, coach, and podcaster. We cover so much in this episode from the Sea Paddle NYC, the MR340, the importance of the mental aspect of training, fishing as a cross training activity, power napping for performance, the Seventy48 race, YRQ, Alabama 650, paddling for vengeance, the Adirondack Canoe Classic, hypothermia, her coaching work and philosophy, the importance of focusing on technique, the 90% Mental Podcast and Natasha Haine and Jen Kilpatrick. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Jennifer herself on this 50th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

Jennifer’s book recommendations:

How Bad Do You Want It?, by Matt Fitzgerald: https://a.co/d/0bpfsPEK

Endure, by Alex Hutchinson: https://a.co/d/0c8gaKSK

Endure, by Cameron Hanes: https://a.co/d/0eeo3PPy

So this episode is going to be a bit different as I not only have one or two guests, but a cornucopia of them. Back in the early episodes of the show I asked paddlers to reach out to me if there were specific topics they’d like me to cover and this episode is courtesy of Chuck Scheidt reaching out. His question was, “how do paddlers get themselves rested for a race? In particular the two weeks (or weeks) leading up to the event.”So to answer his question, I polled 14 of the top paddlers out there to share their experiences. And if you liked this episode and have a different question you’d like me to tackle, please reach out. There were quite a wide array of strategies shared from doing nothing at all to scientific and intentional approaches, but I’ll let you hear it from the paddlers themselves on this 49th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

A big thanks to all of the paddlers that made this episode possible!! Lindsey Tilton, Trey Reaves, Mirko Prufer, Brandon Grundy, Ryan Gillikin, Jake VanLue, Esther Wheeler, Jeremy Stanton, Michelle Bousquet, Sean Lougheed, Lauren Andersen, Salli O’Donnell, Paul Cox, and West Hansen.

This is the law of the Yukon and ever she makes it plain. Send not your foolish and feeble. Send me your strong and your sane. This is the Robert Service poem my guest today recites minutes before paddlers begin the Yukon 1000. In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Jon Frith, U.K. Army veteran, adventurer, expedition leader and guide for wounded veterans, and race director of the Yukon 1000. We cover so much in this episode from his entry into adventure sports via his military career, his innate desire to empty the tank, how the Yukon brings him back year after year, the story behind him becoming the Yukon 1000 race director, racer selection, his race support partner Andy, behind the scenes look into directing the race, how the race touches and reshapes paddlers for the better, talk about a Yukon 2000 race, the record setting source to sea trip on the Yukon, his work guiding wounded veterans down the river, and a sorrowful memorial to a great paddler Ian Huntsman. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Jon himself on this 48th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

Jon’s book recommendations:

The Long Walk, by Slavomir Rawics: https://a.co/d/0imC1LGQ

Yukon 1000 website: www.yukon1000.org

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Mike Malone, veteran, paddler, crew support extraordinaire, and paddling coach. We cover so much in this episode from his early days as an elite swimmer, why he gravitates to coaching and crewing ultramarathon paddling over competing, pitfalls crew support often fall into, tips for getting out of in-race funks, approach to training with focused sets and focused speeds rather than simply logging miles, his journey to discover the best paddling technique to maximize speed and minimize risk of injury, future growth of ultramarathon paddling, getting kids involved in the sport, Last Paddler Standing, and 10th Life Kayaking. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Mike himself on this 47th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

Mike’s contact info:

10th Life Kayaking - https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18PYP21SCK/

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Bruce Smith, former ultramarathon runner and ironman athlete and now elite ultramarathon stand up paddle boarder out of Northeast England. Bruce is coming off of a massive year winning the inaugural Eliminator race in the U.K. and completing 48 laps including 2 super laps in the 2025 Last Paddler Standing. We cover so much in this episode from a career ending ankle injury that led him to paddling, training based on what life brings rather than a structured format, the Eliminator race, Last Paddler Standing 2023 and 2025, Nathan Benderson Park versus Lake June in Winter, amazing crew support from his “harem” of women, sleep deprivation strategies, hallucinations, the Northern SUP Race Club, the N1SCO one design race series, and the book he’s been writing that comes out in May. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Bruce himself on this 46th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

Bruce’s book recommendations:

Feet in the Clouds, by Richard Askwith: https://a.co/d/0dOVhCf6

A Life Without Limits, by Chrissie Wellington: https://a.co/d/0hW8B5U1

Social contact:

-IG: @bruce_ironsmith