In this episode of Following Waters, host Brett Mayer sits down with Buffy Burge — a pioneering whitewater kayaker, five-time Gore Canyon Champion, and the 2003 Green Race winner — whose story is equal parts adventure and reflection.

From her early days discovering rivers at summer camp, to the bold expeditions that defined her twenties — including the Middle Kings, the Waitaha Gorge, and remote runs in Bhutan — Buffy helped open doors for women in the whitewater world.

Then, life shifted. Motherhood, family, and time away from the sport gave her a new relationship to risk and identity. Twenty years later, she returned — not to reclaim old glory, but to share the experience with her teenage son as they became the first mother-son duo to race the Green Narrows together.

• How Buffy first found whitewater and what drew her into Class V terrain
• Lessons from pioneering all-female expeditions in the early 2000s
• Why stepping away from the river changed her perspective on performance
• What the river teaches about flow, identity, and belonging

Buffy Burge is a whitewater kayaker, extreme racer, and mother of three living in Fletcher, NC. A five-time Gore Canyon champion and 2003 Green Race winner, she’s paddled in over ten countries and helped lead early all-female expeditions in New Zealand and Bhutan. After two decades away from competition, she returned in 2023 to race the Green River Narrows alongside her teenage son — reminding us all that courage and curiosity don’t have an age limit.

• Green River Access Fund
• Anna Levesque podcast interview with Buffy Burge
• Green Race - Official Site
• American Canoe Association

Today’s guest is Lisa Raleigh, Executive Director of RiverLink, a nonprofit based in Asheville that champions the health, accessibility, and resilience of the French Broad River and its watershed.

A trained geologist and hydrologist with a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Oklahoma, Lisa’s path has wound through nonprofit advancement, outdoor industry communications, and community leadership. Since arriving at RiverLink in 2021, she has guided the organization through major milestones — from the opening of Karen Cragnolin Park to the evolving role RiverLink now plays in post-Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.

In this conversation, Lisa and host Brett Mayer explore the intersections of science, story, and stewardship: how rivers shape community identity, how resilience is being redefined in a changing climate, and how each of us can help create healthier waterways.

1. Lisa’s early experiences in Montana and the path that led her to study geology and hydrology
2. Lessons learned from decades in nonprofit leadership and community engagement
3. The opening of Karen Cragnolin Park as a symbol of restoration and access along the French Broad
4. How Hurricane Helene revealed both vulnerabilities and collective strength across Western North Carolina
5. The evolving concept of “making room for rivers” in the age of climate change
6. Finding personal balance, hope, and renewal in the work of resilience

Lisa is a scientist, fundraiser, and outdoor enthusiast who brings a lifelong love of nature and a deep commitment to environmental and social justice to her leadership at RiverLink. Before joining the organization, she spent more than a decade as the Director of Advancement at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, co-founded Backbone Media, and worked as a nonprofit fundraising consultant.

A Montana native who lived in Colorado for 30 years before relocating to Asheville, Lisa is also a trail runner, climber, road biker, and proud mother of two daughters, Sunni and Belle.

1. RiverLink
2. Blue Ridge Public Radio – Cleaning Up the French Broad after Helene
3. Edible Asheville – A Force of Nature: A Conversation with Lisa Raleigh
4. Karen Cragnolin Park

Mentioned in this episode:

JointheACA

JointheACA

Episode 7 — Giving Back to the River with Jon Stamper

What does it mean to give back to the waterways that have given us so much?

In this episode, Jon Stamper—River Cleanup Coordinator at MountainTrue and lifelong paddler—joins Brett to explore the intersection of rivers, community, and stewardship. Together they reflect on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and what stewardship and resilience looks like in the region.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why the health of our rivers is directly tied to the health of our communities

Practical ways paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts can get involved in watershed stewardship

How Hurricane Helene changed the landscape for environmental advocacy in Western North Carolina

The importance of local action and why giving back starts close to home

Why Listen

If you’ve ever wondered how to deepen your relationship with the waterways you love, this conversation will inspire you to see stewardship not as an obligation, but as an extension of joy and gratitude, and a central part to our experience as paddlers.

Check It Out

Mountain True - Mountain Strong Recovery Fund

Show Notes

In this episode of Following Waters, host Brett Mayer sits down with Sofi Reinoso, a two-time Olympian, Pan American Games medalist, and the first Mexican canoe slalom paddler to win a medal at an ICF event.

Sofi shares her journey from growing up around the rivers of Veracruz, Mexico, to competing on the world’s biggest stage in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Along the way, she talks about what first drew her to paddling, the challenges of training with limited resources, and how the river continues to shape her vision for life on and off the water.

This conversation dives into the lived experience of being a paddler at the highest level, highlighting the four phases of the whitewater journey — initiating, deepening, imagining, and appreciating — and how Sofi’s story embodies each one.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

1. Sofi’s first encounters with the rivers of Tlapacoyan and how she got her start in kayaking
2. The mentors and community who helped her deepen her skills and identity as a paddler
3. The challenges of representing Mexico internationally and training without consistent support
4. The meaning and possibility she’s discovered through paddling — on the water and in life
5. Her reflections on gratitude, responsibility, and being a role model for the next generation of paddlers

Links & Resources:

1. Follow Sofi Reinoso on Instagram
2. International Canoe Federation – Athlete Profile

Connect with the Show:

1. Follow Following Waters on Instagram: @followingwaters
2. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
3. Share your story: Reach out via Instagram if your life has been shaped by the water

In this episode of Following Waters, host Brett Mayer sits down with Steve “Steve-O” McKone, director of the Calleva River School in Poolesville, Maryland. Steve-O shares his journey from his first paddle on the George Washington Canal at 19, to becoming a lifelong paddler, teacher, and community builder.

Together, Brett and Steve explore:

1. The moment kayaking first captured Steve-O’s imagination and soul.
2. How Calleva River School cultivates grit, resilience, and confidence in paddlers of all ages.
3. Stories of challenge, growth, and joy that come from a life spent on the water.
4. Steve-O’s vision for building community and inspiring the next generation of paddlers in the D.C.–Maryland–Virginia region.
5. Reflections on why paddling is more than just sport—it’s a way of shaping life and meaning.

Brett also shares a personal update about returning from the Gauley River and dedicates this episode to the memory of paddler Pat Miljour.

1. Calleva River School: calleva.org
2. Follow Following Waters on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
3. Learn more about Brett’s research: The Lived Experiences of Whitewater Kayakers: A Phenomenological Exploration

Following Waters explores how rivers shape our lives and the stories we carry from them. Each episode, host Brett Mayer invites paddlers, educators, and river leaders to share authentic conversations about life on the water.

Episode 4: The Anna Levesque Story

Join us for a powerful conversation with paddling and mindset pioneer Anna Levesque, who works to bring a more holistic path to paddling culture through coaching, yoga, breath work, and cultivating awareness.

About Anna Levesque

Anna is a Canadian paddler, former World Freestyle Kayak medalist, and author of Yoga for Paddling. She founded Mind Body Paddle, blending kayaking, yoga, Ayurveda, and mental agility coaching to empower paddlers—especially women—and has been named one of the “most inspirational paddlers alive” by Canoe & Kayak Magazine .

Anna hosts The Discomfort Zone podcast, helping listeners navigate fear and embrace discomfort as a path to growth and flow. She’s interviewed on other shows, including For the Love Of podcast, discussing fear, confidence, and mindset strategies.

Explore her work at annalevesque.com and follow her on Instagram: @annaclevesque

1. How she moved from being overlooked as a female paddler to pioneering women’s coaching in kayaking
2. The emotional and practical journey behind producing the first female-focused instructional DVD
3. Her personal system: the 5 Tenets of River Running and mental agility tools for paddling and life .
4. Why she integrates yoga, Ayurveda, and breathwork into paddling coaching
5. How Mind Body Paddle has reshaped paddling culture toward inclusivity and emotional resilience
6. Balancing flow, fear, and identity on the water and off

If Anna’s story inspired you:

Please subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen. Share her journey with fellow paddlers and anyone craving confidence, courage, and connection—on water or off.

Episode drops in two weeks!

This episode is sponsored by the American Canoe Association. Head over to the ACA and join or renew your membership today!

Mentioned in this episode:

JointheACA

From the rivers of Virginia to backcountry creeks across the country, Gordon Dalton’s life is defined by paddling, wilderness discovery, and thoughtful storytelling.

Gordon is a Virginia-based paddler whose passion for rivers began with a canoe in 1989 and his first kayak in 1992. Since then, he’s explored countless creeks across the Blue Ridge and American West, working as a video kayaker in the late 1990s on rivers like the New and Gauley. Along the way, he helped pioneer and document many of Virginia’s now-classic creek runs, blending adventure with preservation and education.

He’s the longtime organizer of the Goshen Pass downriver race on the Maury River—started in 2007 as a grassroots competition and grown into a beloved spring gathering, organized by Gordon and built on low-ego, shared paddling culture.

Gordon balances his passion for rivers with a day job as a speech therapist, which allows him summers exploring western snowmelt creeks. When he’s not paddling, he shares his discoveries through photography, guidebook contributions, and storytelling—always wrestling with what to share and what to leave undiscovered.

Check out Gordon's instagram: @gdaltonphoto

1. Gordon’s early inspirations—what made him fall in love with paddling.
2. Behind the scenes of working as a video kayaker on iconic rivers.
3. How he discovered and documented Virginia creeks and brought them into the paddling community.
4. The origin story of Goshen Pass Race, its grassroots ethos, and why it endures as a place-based tradition.
5. Gordon’s ongoing tension between documenting adventure and protecting wild runs from overexposure.
6. Reflections on the importance of working together to protect access

If Gordon’s journey—rooted in exploration, self-discovery, and community building—resonated with you, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen. Help amplify a narrative of paddling stewardship, slow river exploration, and the richness of stories born from following waters.

Stay tuned for episode 4: more voices, more rivers, and more lessons from Following Waters!

Mentioned in this episode:

JointheACA

From skate parks to the powerful flow of the Stikine River, Adam Herzog shares how intentional preparation and a love for place shaped his journey as a paddler, racer, and wilderness medicine educator.

Adam Herzog started out skateboarding in Western North Carolina before discovering paddling in his teens. Over the years, that transition blossomed into a paddling career defined by discipline, edge-of-your-seat adventure, and deep purpose. After racing the Green Race annually for over two decades, he ultimately fulfilled a lifelong aspiration: running the legendary Stikine River, often dubbed the “Mount Everest of kayaking” .

Adam’s pursuits extend beyond the water—he’s a paramedic, trauma nurse, and wilderness medicine educator, known for his "Close Calls" storytelling in American Whitewater, exploring near-miss rescues and lessons in risk management. He also teaches via NOLI Learning (kayaking and rescue training)—find more at NOLILearn.org

Follow his journey and daily reflections on Instagram: @ZogTraining

1. How Adam’s skateboarding roots led to a paddling obsession.
2. A behind-the-scenes look at training for the Green Race and staying injury-free.
3. The physical and mental preparation for paddling the iconic Stikine River.
4. Lessons learned from injuries and rescue scenarios as a trauma nurse.
5. His philosophy around teaching, safety, and passing paddling on to the next generation.

1. Epic follow-up interview on Inspire Campfire in The Highs and Lows of Adventure with Adam Herzog
2. Also featured on The Discomfort Zone Podcast discussing resilience post accident.

If you found Adam’s story inspiring, please subscribe and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Share with a paddling buddy or a friend who loves adventure and deep conversations.

Stay tuned for Episode 3 with Gordon Dalton, where we will explore Virginia Creek culture, race organizing, and the life of a grassroots paddling legend.

What drives someone to spend their life navigating whitewater? In this premiere episode of Following Waters, host Brett Mayer sits down with professional paddler, teacher, father, and outdoor educator Bobby Miller to explore that question from the inside out.

Bobby has been paddling Class V rivers for over two decades and is known for his smooth, powerful style on steep creeks and big water alike. But behind the drops and lines is a story about balance—between risk and responsibility, family and freedom, and adrenaline and awareness.

Together, Brett and Bobby dive into:

1. How Bobby got into paddling and what kept him in it
2. How he balances kayaking with parenting and teaching
3. The evolution of East Coast whitewater culture
4. What it means to live a full life on and off the river

Whether you're a paddler, parent, or just someone trying to live with purpose, this episode offers deep insight into how the river can shape who we become.

1. Dagger Kayaks Pro Team
2. Instagram @bobbymiller24

Brett Mayer, creator, is a lifelong environmental educator, whitewater kayaker, and policy advocate with over two decades of experience on and off the river. He is the host of Following Waters, a podcast about the people, places, and stories that move us—through paddling and through life.

Brett has taught at leading independent schools across the country, including Hotchkiss, the Episcopal School in Alexandria, the Landon School for Boys, and currently Carolina Day School in Asheville, North Carolina. He owned and operated a paddling school and student travel company, and has spent years guiding young people into meaningful relationships with wild places.

As the Policy Director for the American Canoe Association, Brett represents the paddling community in partnership with Outdoor Alliance, working to protect access to public lands and waterways nationwide. His graduate thesis on why people paddle—based on interviews with elite Class V paddlers—revealed a simple truth: people stay on the water for friendship, stewardship, and purpose.

Through Following Waters, Brett shares the deep lessons the river teaches—about bravery, connection, and living an unconventional, wholehearted life.

For over 140 years, the ACA has been supporting paddlers and protecting access to rivers, lakes, and coastlines across the country. Join the movement, take a course, or become a member at americancanoe.org.

Take advantage of a free kids membership with the purchase of a new adult membership during the month of July, 2025!