Hey there this is Leslie Kolovich.  Today’s show is with another inspiring woman, Ruth Monahan-Smith.  She tells us her story of battling her diagnosis of breast cancer, to paddling in the Battle of The Paddle!  Ruth lives in the SanDiego area, and has been paddling for 3 years or so.  She tells me about how her paddle friends were with her when she got the horrible call from her doctor telling her she had breast cancer last January 2011.  Ruth tells us how paddling really was a source of healing for her.  She would pick herself up by the boot straps between chemo illness and get to the water.  She said, “I knew if I could just get to the water, it would make me feel better”.

I hear in so many stories how paddling seems to help the healing process for our physical and our emotional needs.  Ruth has been able to enter in SUP races that most would think she was crazy to do so, specifically The Gerry Lopez, Rainbow Sandals Battle of The Paddle.  She and her paddle friends took all summer to learn to surf so she could come in for the beach finish not on her knees.  Ruth describes her feelings participating and the accomplishment of finishing it with only a few good dings on the board.

Her message to all women who may be getting that phone call right now is, Never Give Up, get good support around you to help you through the good and the bad days that surely do come,  and it’s never too late to learn to surf!  Ruth is nearing 50 years old, and paddled in the most difficult SUP race on the planet!  Ruth is doing things she never thought she would, or could.  She is off to “Another Dam Race” in Parker Arizona in November a 10.5 miler in which she knows she will do better than she did last year!

Enjoy this podcast!  You can feel her energy and passion for living!

Opening and closing music by the tremendous Candy Dulfer off her album Funked Up, song called Be Cool