Rise and Glide

We welcome Tarryn King, a multi-time South African champion in stand up paddleboarding, SUP surfing and longboarding, and an ISA sprint world champion. Tarryn shares her journey into water sports, the challenges of balancing motherhood with competitive sports, and her training routines. Tarryn won a 200m sprint world title just a few months after giving birth to her first child, and tells us about...

In this episode, we sit down with Alba Frey, a Spanish competitive stand up paddle (SUP) athlete. Alba shares her journey from growing up on an island to becoming a world champion in SUP racing. She discusses her transition from surfing and sailing as a kid, to windsurfing and now to stand up paddle racing and downwind foiling. We chat about her competitive spirit and how she has achieved such inc...

In this episode we welcome Lindsey Tilton, a prominent figure in the stand-up paddling community with many ultra-endurance challenges under her belt. Lindsey shares her journey into the sport, discussing her transition from running to paddle boarding during the pandemic. We talk about her experiences at Last Paddler Standing, the Alabama 650, Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis and what’s next for her. T...

Mike Jucker is the founder of Stand Up Magazin. Mike shares his journey from a board sports enthusiast in Switzerland to a prominent figure in the global stand up paddleboarding (SUP) community whilst living in Hawai'i. He discusses the evolution of water sports, the challenges of content creation in a digital age, and how the sport could progress if there was better financial support for athl...

Scotty Warren is a prominent figure in the stand up paddling community. Scotty shares his journey from a self-proclaimed wannabe surfer while at university, to a multifaceted professional involved in coaching, race directing, and community building within the sport. The conversation explores the evolution of Scotty's paddling career, the challenges faced in coaching and race directing, and the ins...

We sit down with Andrew Byatt, also known as Milky, who is a prominent figure in the world of prone paddle boarding and surf life saving. Andrew shares his journey from a young competitive athlete, to a dedicated family man, and back to the competitive scene again, highlighting the challenges and wins along the way. He shares the importance of community, the balance between family life and trainin...

Today, we welcome Iloha, a talented paddler from French Polynesia. Iloha shares her journey into the world of paddling, starting from her childhood experiences in Tahiti to her current competitive endeavours in various paddling disciplines, including Va'a, SUP, and surf-ski. We chat about her training routines, how she prepares for competitions, and her recent performance at the ICF SUP World...

Dean Dunbar, known as the 'blind adventurer', shares his incredible journey of losing his sight at a young age and how he adapted to life as a blind person. He discusses his passion for extreme sports and challenges, particularly prone paddleboarding, and his experiences competing in the ISA World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Dean talks about some of the challenges he has had to o...

Maddi and Holly welcome Anna Tschirky, a talented stand-up paddler from Switzerland. Anna shares her journey in sports, her passion for cooking and nutrition, and the balance between skiing in the winters and paddling in the summers. They discuss Anna’s international racing experience and the challenges of training in a landlocked country, how she got into paddling at such a young age, and some of...

In this episode, Maddi and Holly welcome Greg Wingo, a prominent race director known for organising unique long-distance paddling events like the Alabama 650 and Last Paddler Standing. Greg shares his journey from ultra running to creating these challenging races, emphasising the mental endurance required for success. They discuss the growth of participation in these events, the importance of gend...

Maddi and Holly interview David and Lewis, the main faces behind Paddle Logger. We discuss the history of Paddle Logger, its evolution over the past 10 years, and the successes along the way. Throughout the episode, we chat about the early days of the app, the growth of the paddling community over the last 10 years, the diversity of Paddle Logger's users, and the development of the PaddleLIVE®...

We can't believe season two is over already. In this round up episode, cohosts Maddi Leblanc and Holly Pye look back and chat about their favourite moments from this season, sharing highlights from each of the ten awesome guests we've had the pleasure of speaking to. Throughout season two, we've learned from explorers, world champions, SUP athletes, kayakers, and many, many more. We&#3...

Marie is a waterwoman from South Devon, Great Britain. She’s got years of experience under her belt in almost every water sport you can think of. Marie’s well known as a SUP racer, having been paddling since 2007, but her journey started in competitive windsurfing and has evolved to all paddling disciplines since. In this episode we dive back through the history of SUP, from the first boards and p...

Chris Freeman, the owner and founder of Black Project, discusses his journey in the water sports industry and the development of Black Project in the SUP and Windsurf worlds. Chris transitioned from competitive windsurfing to stand up paddling (SUP) and began creating high-performance fins and paddles in the process. We learn about how good quality fins and paddles can dramatically improve your pa...

Today we’re chatting with Seychelle, professional stand up paddle board (SUP) racer. A few months ago, Seychelle won the ICF World Championships 200m Sprint race only a few months after also winning two 70 mile and 80 mile endurance events. We chat about different SUP disciplines and the topic of specialisation. Seychelle tells us how it really is possible to do it all, and we learn more about the...

Blake Carmichael is the winner of the 2023 Last Paddler Standing endurance event, where he paddled for a record-breaking 50 hours. He completed this just a few months after also winning the solo men’s division of the 80 mile Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis from the Bahamas to Florida. In this episode, Blake shares his journey in stand up paddle boarding, going from beginner to ultra long distance pad...

Jon White is a para-canoeist and was the first para-athlete in an ICF event, has represented Great Britain at several world championships winning many medals, and recently won two Gold medals at the 2023 ICF Ocean Racing World Championships in Australia. He lives by “a strong will and a sharp mind can overcome almost anything”. In this episode, Jon discusses his competitive journey and how he redi...

3 x World Champion, a gold medalist in the Pan American Surfing Games, 2x Carolina Cup Graveyard Champion, Gorge Downwind OC1 Champion and APP World Tour World Champion. April has worked HARD over the last decade and shares her journey as a paddler, an athlete, a coach and now new parent. She talks about how she started paddling from a background with zero fitness, and the challenges she faced as...

Dr. Audrey Lee, a performance and plant-based sports nutrition coach, shares her journey in the world of paddle boarding and the importance of self-care, recovery, and nutrition in achieving a balanced lifestyle. Audrey emphasises the need to listen to our bodies and how to make conscious choices that support our wellbeing. Her approach to performance coaching focuses on optimising routines and si...

Brad Friesen has completed some incredible feats and shares with us his journey into endurance paddling from river surfing and white water paddling. His background in canoeing, kayaking, and mountaineering led him to discover stand up paddle boarding. Brad talks about his experience with endurance events such as the Yukon River Quest and the Yukon 1000, and the mental and physical challenges they...

Have you ever thought about what happens to a paddle board once it's reached the end of its life? In this episode Holly & Maddi sit down with Pip Andrews, Eco Partnerships Manager for Starboard SUP. Pip shared her passion for sustainability and we discuss the importance of protecting the environment. Pip has heaps of environmental knowledge and gave us some ideas to keep the waters clean a...

Bruce Kirkby, a Canadian explorer and adventurer, joins the Rise and Guide podcast to kick off season two. He shares his passion for life and what it means to get outside of your comfort zone. Bruce started guiding all kinds of expeditions over 30 years ago. In more recent years, his journey into the paddling world began with kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. We asked him what he loves about...

We're kicking off Season 2 of Rise and Glide. Maddi Leblanc and Holly Pye catch up on everything that's happened since the end of Season 1. They discuss their highlights, challenges, and lessons learned from various competitions. Maddi shares her decision to switch sponsors, and Holly talks about her plans for the upcoming season, including races in Europe and the UK. They also talk about...

Maddi Leblanc and Holly Pye reflect on their favourite moments from the past ten episodes of Rise & Glide. From epic rowing adventures to SUP racing, waves, science and everything in between, Season 1 has been a great mix of adventure and inspiration. Listen to Maddi and Holly's insights and the impact that each guest has had on them. As Season 1 comes to a close, we want to hear about you...

Bella has rowed across not one, but two oceans whilst breaking multiple world records without any previous rowing or endurance sport experience. She tells us all about the stories from her time at sea and the challenges she faced during and after her trips. We talk about team work, pressure sores, sleep deprivation, scary weather and why the impossible is actually possible. Listen in to this episo...