By Marissa Tiel
For as long as she can remember, Tamlyn Bohm has been on the water.
Plunked in a boat alongside her parents, she was introduced to paddling early. She害羞草研究所檇 accompany her father down some of South Africa害羞草研究所檚 infamous rivers holding her paddle up dutifully when asked as they害羞草研究所檇 breeze through rapids.
Later, when given the choice between homework and getting in a boat, Bohm always chose paddling.
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Growing up in South Africa, Bohm害羞草研究所檚 family vacations always revolved around paddling.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 remember ever going on a holiday that wasn害羞草研究所檛 a paddling trip ever in my life, other than with my grandparents or something,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚t was: we害羞草研究所檙e going to the race this weekend, you get to hang out at the race all weekend, which is great. I saw so many places that most people would never go to.害羞草研究所�
When her mother, Aurora, first made the South African marathon national team, the family packed for a two-month adventure in Europe. Bohm was around 10 years old.
害羞草研究所淚 remember pushing the backpacks on a trolley through the airport and my mom and dad had a double (kayak) on each shoulder while we walked through Heathrow,害羞草研究所� says Bohm. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檇 be unheard of nowadays. It害羞草研究所檚 crazy.害羞草研究所�
They travelled to England, Ireland, Spain and France.
害羞草研究所淲e rented one of those camper vans with a pop-up roof and lived in that for two months driving around Europe,害羞草研究所� says Bohm. 害羞草研究所淚t was pretty cool. Probably the best trip of my life.害羞草研究所�
They害羞草研究所檇 do a week of racing and then a week of holidays.
Her father, Darryl, insisted they get their fill of history.
害羞草研究所淪o we saw every Roman bridge and castle that we could find,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e been through a lot of museums.害羞草研究所�
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Around this time, Bohm also got her first boat. A pink polo kayak, its ends were bumpered for the full-contact sport. Darryl extended the bumpers to include the sides of her kayak and let her use it in the pool. Whether the bumpers were to protect the kayak or the pool is still up for debate.
In 2004, the family moved to Canada. They landed in Oakville, Ont., a hub for paddling in Canada.
On the GO train one day, Aurora and Darryl spotted a legion of kayaks spread out near the Credit River. They quickly signed up with the Mississauga Canoe Club.
Bohm joined her parents six months later after finishing up her semester in South Africa.
She began working full-time at a Montessori centre while paddling part-time. Soon, the scales would tip the other way as she went back to school part-time, training for paddling full-time.
In 2005, she attended her first ICF World Marathon Championships. She would continue to compete for Canada for the next 10 years, making a name for herself as one of the top marathon paddlers in the world. Bohm was the top Canadian at worlds (she has dual citizenship between South Africa and Canada) in 2011 and 2012, finishing sixth and 11th respectively.
In 2013, representing Canada at the Sprint Pan American Canoe Championships, she earned a gold and two silver medals. At her final World Marathon Championships in Oklahoma City in 2014, she finished eighth.
After graduating, she took a year to go 害羞草研究所渇ull-on competitive, but it just didn害羞草研究所檛 happen,害羞草研究所� she told Searching for Sero a few years ago. 害羞草研究所淚 decided I wasn害羞草研究所檛 getting any faster so it was time to get a real job.害羞草研究所�
Enter the Kelowna Paddle Centre. Bohm accepted a position as club manager and moved across the country for a new start in Kelowna.
She害羞草研究所檚 hoping to get as many people paddling safely as possible.
She害羞草研究所檚 helping breathe new life into the club, membership rose from 27 people in 2013 to 350 in 2015.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 trying to create that love of paddling in people,害羞草研究所� she says.
She now brings her own experience and enthusiasm for the sport to members on Lake Okanagan.
And while she害羞草研究所檚 retired from marathon racing, Bohm hasn害羞草研究所檛 slowed down.
Embracing one of the club害羞草研究所檚 disciplines, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), Bohm has entered the racing scene as a SUPer to watch.
In 2017, she earned the title Queen of Kalamalka after finishing as the top female in the 16-kilometre race. The same year, she won Board the Fjord.
Bohm has now signed on as an athlete ambassador for Vaikovi, Blackfish Paddles, One SUP and Fresh Air.
She remains committed to hard work.
害羞草研究所淚 like feeling broken at the end of a practice,害羞草研究所� she says.
Bohm now trains around six times per week year-round.
And while her priorities for training have shifted from high performance athlete to become more social, she still loves a good competition.
害羞草研究所淧art of me just loves racing,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 just can害羞草研究所檛 resist.害羞草研究所�
On the docket this year are four events: the Canadian Downwind Championships in Squamish, the Kalamalka Crossing, the Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge and the Kelowna Paddle Centre害羞草研究所檚 Waterman Paddlefest.
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