Standup Crew

Our? energetic IMAGE events manager Roisin Finnegan may not be be the sportiest person in the building but she’s game to try new things. Her boyfriend’s recently gotten into standup paddleboarding (SUP) so she decided to give it a go, too.

Love it or leave it? Love it! Even though I was the one in PE that had some sort of excuse every week to get out of it. Ask me to go out for a jog or go to a bootcamp and I’d rather stick pins in my eyes.

What’s so great about paddleboarding? The great thing about it is you can make it as’strenuous?as you want. You can amble on along the lake, open water, canal, wherever the lessons take you, at a slow pace or really get in to it and give it your all. It’s great for your core and arms. I know I don’t look anything like Cameron Diaz paddle boarding (and I never will!) but it’ll do for now!

Were you fit to start? I trained in ballet for 15 years, have a big gr? for yoga and adore Pilates (so much so that I have daydreams about doing a course and being a zenned out teacher) but I don’t do much aerobically.

What’s the form? The wonderful Tom from Perfect Day surf school in Strandhill told us to meet him in Sligo?Town then we drove for a bit until we arrived at a lovely,?peaceful lake complete with a few fishermen and swans.

Tom and his son Zach went through the safety tips and gave us our boards, paddles, wetsuits (I opted for a life jacket as I wouldn’t be?the’strongest swimmer (sports again). We started at the water’s edge, got in, knelt on the board and then gently came to standing. Amazingly, I did it without a flinch and that felt great. I?proceeded?to paddle away for the next two hours and didn’t fall off ONCE. My boyfriend, on the other hand, struggled a bit (fell off a?few?times).

When are you going again? This Sunday in Dun Laoghaire- I’m ready to try the sea!