Lina Augaitis is no stranger to competing against the world’s best stand up paddleboarders.
In fact, the Coldstream resident and part-time P.E. teacher at Vernon Secondary School, is among the world’s best in the sport.
Augaitis will compete for Canada Nov. 12-20 at the ISA Stand Up Paddleboard World Champioinships in Fiji.
“These will be my third World Championships to represent Canada,” said Augaitis, who has been named a team captain for Canada.
Augaitis won the Distance SUP Race at the 2014 ISA Stand Up Paddleboard World Championships in Nicaragua and placed second in the technical course for SUP Racing.
She was also crowned the 2014 World Series World Champion as well as the Battle of the Paddle Distance Champion, Overall Champion (the Superbowl of SUP racing) and the Woman SUP Athlete of the Year by SUPConnect.
In 2015, Augaitis competed for Canada at the ISA World championships in Mexico where she won a silver in the distance event and a copper in the technical event.
In 2014 and 2015 she also claimed the title of Fastest Paddle on Earth.
What’s different this time around is Augaitis is competing as a new mom, having given birth 10 months ago to her son, Tavas.
“My training routine has changed significantly since I have become a mom and a part time P.E. teacher with VSS,” she said.
“It is all about being creative and having a partner who supports me and my endeavours. I am hoping to come away with a medal but am just really excited to be representing our country again on the world stage.”
The World Championships encompass three sports: a SUP Surf Competition, SUP Racing (distance and technical course), and prone paddleboarding (distance and technical course).
This is the first year that Team Canada will be sending a full team across all three disciplines.
“I will be racing the women’s SUP distance and technical courses,” said Augaitis. “We have athletes on Team Canada from Vancouver, Tofino, North Vancouver, Whistler, Coldstream/Vernon, and Ontario.”
Augaitis tuned up for the Worlds by winning some big Canadian races this year, including the Canadian SUP Championships in Tofino, the Champion of the Crescent in Surrey, and her local race, the SUP Festival on Kalamalka Lake.
She was also among the first women SUP finishers at the Yukon River Quest, a 715 kilometre race down the Yukon River, from Whitehorse to Dawson City.
“I could not have been living my dream for the past two-and-a-half years without the amazing support of my husband, friends, community, and sponsors,” said Augaitis.
You will be able to follow the World Championships from Fiji on the ISA website at http://isaworlds.com/sup/2016/en/.