We are thrilled to announce that Canoe and Kayak Magazine named Girls at Play one of the Top 7 Paddling Schools for instruction in their 2011 Beginner’s Guide. Honored to be among names like the NOC, Otter Bar and Madawaska Kanu Center, the magazine claims that “If you’re a gal and want to paddle with your peers, be they nervous beginners or Class V experts, the setting doesn’t get much better than the programs through Girls at Play.”
Canoe and Kayak also features Anna in their article, “Six of Paddling’s Top Instructors Share Their Passion for The Water.” Highlighting Anna’s connecting yoga and kayaking, they playfully name the spotlight, “Former Pro Paddler Teaches Kayakers to Om.”
We are grateful to be a part of this Beginner’s Guide and to be recognized for what we are passionate about, “inspiring women to surpass what they believe is possible.”
Below is the article, written by Eugene Buchanon:
If you’re a gal and want to paddle with your peers, be they nervous beginners or Class V experts, the setting doesn’t get much better than the programs through Girls at Play. Run by world-class paddler Anna Levesque (See “Portraits,” p. 39), the school is dedicated to inspiring women and enhancing their lives through kayaking and yoga retreats—sometimes both at the same time. “Our workshops and classes provide an environment where kayaking feels accessible, fun, inspiring, adventurous and supportive,” says Levesque, who combines 15 years of experience as a kayak guide, instructor and competitor with more than 300 hours of training as a yoga instructor. For a sample of her technique, check out Girls at Play, an instructional video made specifically for women. Levesque found inspiration for the video thumbing through an instructional book on the shores of the Ottawa River. “I enjoyed the instruction, photos and layout, but was disappointed there were only two photos of female kayakers,” she says. The result: her own instructional video, as well as the Girls at Play Summer Tour to support it. More workshops, adventure trips to Mexico and DVDs followed, and the process continues today with a full line of instructional trips and workshops. Out this spring: a new DVD entitled Yoga for Kayaking with Anna Levesque and Joe Taft.
Women wanting to benefit from her watergirl wanderlust can join her for special women’s clinic weeks at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, or for the more adventurous, eight-day instructional trips to Mexico. You’ll stay at a small hacienda-style hotel with private bath and learn everything from bracing to rolling—and how to slice perfect lime wedges into your Coronas—on crystal clear rivers such as the Veracruz, Antigua and Actopan. This summer, the school is also offering a Girls at Play Kayaking/Rafting/Yoga trip on Idaho’s Main Salmon Aug. 12-17. “I’m super grateful to be on a continually evolving path of teaching and inspiring women to surpass what they believe is possible,” Levesque says. And if you’re ever a little sore from one of her sessions, it’s nothing a little Downward Dog can’t help.
