Hi my name is Josh Tremblay. Welcome to Paddle for Change!
Glad you could make it. Please head on over to the Blog portion of the site for the latest Paddle for Change details.
The Day it all Started: February 28th, 1992
This little journey actually started eighteen years ago on February 28th, 1992. At the time I was 15 years old. I received news that my father had disappeared while on a kayaking expedition with his brother. It was 8 in the evening. The two brothers had left earlier that day to kayak off the coast of Maui. They never returned that evening.
One Brother Found, The Other Missing
Jocelyn, my dad’s brother was found late the following morning on the shore of Kaho’olawe. The coast guard helicopter, after doing a couple fly byes, finally spotted him. Dehydrated, hungry, and in shock, they took him to Maui Memorial Hospital. The search meanwhile continued for my father. It would continue for the next several days. He was never to be found.
Trying to Make Sense of It All
This was a lot to deal with for a 15 year old. I insulated myself from the experience with a lot of distractions. Sports, girls, and school, you name it. Today I can look back and say this wasn’t healthy. But what did I know? Despite the disappearance, my fascination and sense of connection with the ocean only continued to grow. I became more and more passionate about surfing big waves and spending long periods of time in the water. Deep within my psyche something was going on. My passion for the ocean was a way of connecting with my now gone father.
An Unconscious Decision
Today I know what that was all about. I wanted him back. The closest I could be to him was in the waters that he disappeared in. Something else was also going on. A decision was being made that would one day affect my future in a massive way. I decided, at this early age, that an expedition to honor my father’s memory would someday be in the works.
Why Not Here? Why Not Now?
That day is today. In less than two months I will embark on a trip that will span the distance of Miami, Florida to New York, NY. Trip is being rerouted. Details to follow Sunday, July 11th at the Paddle for Change Blog. Want to come along for the ride? I’d be glad to have you join me. What’s the purpose of the trip? Well you got the first part. But the second part is even much simpler. It is the passion to adventure for the sake of adventure. Can you relate? I think we all somewhere inside long for adventure, challenge, and change.
Participate in the Journey
If you want to come out and paddle some leg of the expedition, please drop me an email here. If you follow along the journey, you can sign up to receive a daily update here. Once the trip launches I’ll send about one update a day. Sometimes video. Sometimes audio. Sometimes written. Always adventure.
Visit the Blog
So that its about it. Please visit the blog and get further details.
Join the Conversation
One last thing… want to join the conversation in another way? I’m still getting familiar with Twitter. You can follow me there. And (or) check out Paddle for Change on Facebook.
Thank you for your interest in this project! If you have suggestions or ideas, I’d love to hear them.
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