Introducing Chris McDowell, ASI SUP Instructor

Chris became an ASI SUP Instructor in the UK, she then migrated to Australia and set up her own ASI SUP School, Blue Therapy SUP.   Chris chose to complete her SUP Instructor training with ASI to be part of the ASI worldwide network and support.

We chat to Chris about how she got involved in SUP, coaching in the UK, moving out to Australia, setting up her SUP School and her future plans. 

What’s your experience in stand up paddling?

I’ve paddled in many locations across the UK and some in Australia. I love to explore new areas and getting to know the local waterways and forging new friendships.

SUP is my passion; I love to compete in SUP Racing and have had many podium wins over the last few years. The GB SUP and N1SCO SUP family are amazing, everyone is so supportive of one another, we are of course, all competitive but always have the best time.

I had only been to four SUP Race training sessions on the River Tyne, Northumberland, UK when I signed up to compete in a race the full length of Windermere, 17.5km. I was 2nd overall and first in my age category, this blew me away and I couldn’t wait to attend more races and to become fitter and faster.

I became well known within my local UK SUP community and people of all ages used to approach me for lessons, coaching, fitness training and general advice. I absolutely loved this and as people became more interested in SUP my passion grew, this is where I decided to go down the route of qualifying as an ASI Instructor.

I was already a SUP instructor with another training organisation but ultimately my goal was to emigrate to Australia so knew I needed ASI qualifications to be able to transfer my skills overseas, plus gain all the benefits of ASI intensive training and career progression courses on offer.

Following ASI qualification completion, I worked as an ASI Level 1 & 2 Instructor in the UK where I loved seeing participants coming along and giving SUP a go. Watching the delight on people’s faces when they learn to stand and manoeuvre their board makes me happy.  

I have taught children right through to 80yr olds and love how SUP is such an all-inclusive activity. SUP helps to build confidence and fitness, educates participants in water and weather safety and I have forged many great friendships over the past few years.

I trained with and coached for the Northern SUP Race Team, UK for a short while, but during COVID we weren’t allowed to travel outside of our area so, a group of us used to meet up 2 to 3 times a week to SUP Race train locally. This group began to grow as others saw us out on the water having so much fun and wanted to join in, we became known as the Northumbrian Warriors.

I loved these sessions and, as I was looking to expand my ASI Instructor’s qualification to SUP Technical Coach, I used to practice my teaching skills with them, understanding changes to their technique helped them become more efficient and powerful paddlers, and more confident to paddle in changeable conditions. I even encouraged and helped a couple of them to gain their ASI SUP Instructors qualifications.

I absolutely love to see clients achieve their goals, smile, laugh, gain confidence and find SUP their passion, as much as I do.

What got you interested in stand up paddling?

I had a bad accident whilst learning to kite surf in Australia and never regained my confidence to return to the sport. Whilst I was recovering from my injuries, surgery etc, I had approached a kiting instructor back in the UK as I had initially thought I’d get back into the sport, but as I’d lost my confidence he introduced me to a down river SUP’ing, I was absolutely hooked from the start.

I suffer from a chronic illness, and I had had to give up my previous passion of long-distance walking due to Fibromyalgia. I found that SUP helped me not only to become more confident and stronger, but I was able to manage my pain through Blue Therapy and not prescribed medication.

Focusing the mind and exercise has been recognised as a great way to manage Fibro and my consultants were blown away by the fact that I no longer took the prescribed drugs, which to be honest didn’t work anyway.

Blue therapy is definitely the way forward for many illnesses, and friends, friends of friends soon wanted to know how they too could manage a chronic illness, fatigue but still SUP and race.

When did you start paddling?

I had paddled a few river cruises during 2016 and loved them; but it was 2017 following some down time from all sporting activities due to surgery repairing the damage to my wrist from the kite surfing accident, that I really became involved in SUP.

I’d met up with the Northern SUP Race Team, UK for a try out to become a competitive paddler. Absolutely loved this from the get-go and I have never looked back.

What other instructor, teacher, trainer qualification do you hold?

ASI Level 1 Instructor (Enclosed flat water), ASI Level 2 SUP Instructor (Exposed waters coastal) and ASI SUP Technical Coach.
Senior First Aid Certificate for UK and Australia
Lean Management & NEBOSH Qualified (National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health)
Business and Administration Diploma

All of the above have certainly helped me have a better understanding of the requirements in setting up a water sports business, I think I may have struggled with risk assessments and environmental impact assessments etc without the background knowledge.

Tell us about your SUP School and your plans for the future

Blue Therapy SUP School is based in Central Queensland (the Sunshine State) at Biloela, a small country town, 90 kilometres inland from the coast and Gladstone. 

I set up the school in Biloela as my family are located there. The next challenge was to find out where SUP could be provided.

There isn’t a huge population, many people are transient. Nor are there water sports amenities, other than the local swimming pool and dam. There is pretty much year-round sunshine and dry conditions, making it ideal to SUP.

I have loved setting up a unique opportunity in this region called the Banana Shire. To provide people of all backgrounds and ability levels the chance to experience something new, fun and exciting, with a focus on teaching people to SUP with the correct safety protocols and techniques to enable all to enjoy paddleboarding in a safe and fun way.

I hope to reach as many of the local community and visitors as possible to share the connection and health benefits of water therapy, the outdoors, fitness, mindfulness and so much more.

Blue Therapy is real, and I get to experience the benefits of it more than most. I love being out on the water surrounded by wildlife and nature, peace and solitude, doing something I have a great passion for. I am also someone who needs to stay active and get regular exercise so running my own SUP School ticks all the boxes.

To date I have taught groups of children right through to adults and anyone in between wishing to give SUP a try. I have also had great pleasure and success in teaching children with behavioural issues and a young adult with a brain disorder that makes walking difficult never mind balancing on a SUP board.

My aim is to inspire and empower all with confidence to enjoy the benefits of stand up paddleboarding and become great paddlers.

My passion is SUP fitness and racing, my aim to have paddlers understand that exercise isn’t just the inside of a gym would be amazing. I’d love to get regular sessions up and running, especially working with people suffering from behavioural issues, chronic illness, anxiety, depression and PTSD.

Blue Therapy SUP is only ten months young, so work behind the scenes is constantly in progress to engage with the local community. In winter, many people hibernate due to the cooler temperatures, not me, I will continue to practice my skills, maintain fitness and enjoy the atmospheric mornings and sunsets and look forward to welcoming clients back in the Spring or indeed whenever they would like to join me.

Tell us about funny or interesting or nice situation that has happened to you with instructing?

Every session comes with a story which, in its own right, is special, funny and interesting. 

I’ve chosen a special story which was a Level 2 exposed water afternoon with On Water Training, Hartlepool, UK.

A group of us headed out late afternoon, mid-January, where the conditions were absolutely incredible, following a week of very stormy weather. The north sea was eerily flat, glass like, no wind & it was so warm for Winter by the time the "golden hour" arrived.

Wearing 5mm wetsuits we were so toasty as we watched the stunning Winter sun set over Hartlepool, which was topped off by a visit from a local grey seal.

A very rare and special SUP afternoon, one we all felt privileged to have been out on the water to witness and enjoy.

More about Blue Therapy SUP

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093263061991&mibextid=ZbWKwL

Instagram: BlueTherapySUP

E;.  BlueTherapySUP@outlook.com

About ASI

ASI is an international professional membership and training organisation and governing body for instructors, coaches and schools and clubs in the outdoor recreation industry for surfing, stand up paddle and bodyboarding.

ASI Accredited Schools abide by the high international standards for operations, training and safety.
Travel the world with ASI.
www.academyofsurfing.com
#sup #standuppaddle #supinstructor #supcoach  #supschool  #supwise