In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Esther Wheeler one of the premier ultramarathon female paddlers who just came out on top again this year in the Yukon River Quest in a kayak. We cover so much in this episode from the way she entered the paddling scene through a traumatic experience on whitewater, visualization techniques, the spell of the Yukon, the Great River Club, being a board member of the YRQ, her take on the 2025 dragon boat Guinness world record for distance traveled at the MR340, the importance of giving people chances, sleep deprivation strategies, testing out the Inside Passage in preparation for the Race to Alaska, and immigration fails after the Yukon 1000. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Esther herself on this 25th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast…

Esther’s IG: @wheelerest

Esther’s Book Recommendations:

-Dare to Do, by Sarah Ouden: https://a.co/d/dK8Vs6s

-Kayaking the Aleutians, Justine Curgenven & Sarah Ouden (DVD): https://a.co/d/gHeHl8f

-The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown: https://a.co/d/49nyEAk