PAM BOTELER

AMATEUR ATHLETE, ACTIVIST, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER .

 

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."  ~ Aristotle

Pam Boteler of the Washington Canoe Club in Washington, DC, made USA Canoe/Kayak history at the 2000 National Championships by becoming the first woman to compete in sprint canoe - against the men.  She continued to race against the men in 2001 and finally, in 2002, USACK changed its by-laws to allow women to compete at the National Championships in events of their own - in all age and boat categories.  Finally, U.S. women sprint canoers had a league of their own.

Pam was inspired into sprint canoe by Canadian pioneer and legend Sheila Kuyper.  That image of a powerful and graceful woman in a "man's canoe" has been a driver and primary catalyst for working tirelessly - on and off the water - to pave the way for women of all ages to follow and pursue their dream of training and competing within their own club, their own country, in their own events, and for their country in international competition, and ultimately the Olympic Games.  And she has done this while working her full-time job for the U.S. Federal Government.  

 

Pam serves as a role-model for women to pursue their Olympic dream and desire to compete nationally and internationally, regardless of age, gender, or socio-economic background, or even sport of choice.  JustCanoeIt.com was created to be yet another avenue for promoting not only sprint canoe and bringing awareness to issues surrounding the inclusion of women in all Olympic disciplines, but to promote paddle sports of all kinds for competition and as a way of life, as promoted by the American Canoe Association.