I’ve been able to call Courtney a friend for four years. We first met working together on a media project for Paddle Canada and Level Six.

Last year, in the dip between waves of the COVID pandemic we got together outside to make images together. Courtney was in the middle of a website re-build and rebranding as part of her work helping people spend time outside on the water. She is focusing on building comprehensive experiences for people to not only get on the water for the first time, and for those who want to improve their skills on the water.

The avenue that Courtney uses is stand up paddle boarding. She is a certified SUP instructor who offers Paddle Canada skills courses and paddling experiences on Golden Lake. You can find the link here.

This isn’t something I get to do that often but it is in a space that I love. As a Paddle Canada certified instructor myself, being able to access and experience the outdoors has been a hallmark of my own mental health journey. I have been a recovering addict for over 15 years, have a PTSD diagnosis for which I take medication and seek monthly therapy. Being outside is a small but significant part of being able to balance the ups and downs of life - especially after the shit we all experienced over the past 16 months.

As always, I am happy to hear from you for any questions, or to work together. You can find all around the web by searching #gabesimages