What is the She SUPs Sydney Expedition? And why did you do it?

In 'SUPtember' (September) 2019 I embarked on an expedition/challenge named ‘She SUPs Sydney’ where I stand-up paddle boarded 30 waterways of Sydney in 30 days covering over 300km of rivers, creeks, harbours and bays. On my journey, I was joined by women and girls from across NSW. My goal/ hope was that this challenge would help inspire women and girls across Australia to try new things, face their fears and find empowerment and strength through adventure.

To explain a little more, firstly let me introduce myself…

My name is Vikki and I'm a 29-year-old, paddle boarding-obsessed, activist and adventurer, on a mission. When I was 13 years old I survived the 2004 boxing day tsunami. The tsunami took the life of my father, but on reflection, seemed to gift me mine. While the disaster left me bereaved and traumatised I recognised I was extremely lucky to walk away from it and return home to a loving and supportive network. I witnessed others, locals from these devastated areas, who were not so fortunate and whose livelihoods and families were completely destroyed. At the age of 13, I found a calling that pushed me forward, a determination to be grateful for every second of my life on this incredible planet. A determination to live my life with purpose, face into my fears and use my voice and actions to make a change and support others. I also discovered the power of adventure. 

I moved to Australia just over 5 years ago and within a matter of months, I was hooked on paddling. Paddleboarding has enabled me to find comfort and confidence on the water, it has helped me find peace and calm in my mind, and has become my vehicle for adventuring into the most remote locations, connect closely with nature and discovering beautiful secret corners of the planet.

Life as a female adventurer

Unfortunately, I have found that sometimes being a female adventurer can be tough, and yet, it really shouldn’t be. We see incremental steps towards complete gender equality across Australia, however stereotyping, gender discrimination and ultimately safety fears still remain huge barriers to participation in adventure and outdoor sports for women and girls. I have experienced first hand, during physical adventure challenges, courses or experiences, my male counterparts taking one look at me and immediately questioning my ability and strength, all just because I’m a girl. Additionally, many of the unique gender barriers women and girls face on a daily basis when considering adventurous activities are invisible or have unfortunately become the social norm; from having to take extra safety precautions when venturing out alone to anxiety and internal conflict around body image and how you will be perceived by others.

I love a challenge!

Over the past few years, I have hiked thousands of kilometres for charity, climbed the 10 highest peaks in Australia, kayaked down the Murray River and spent 10 days trekking on the Great Wall of China all raising money and awareness for causes I care about. Through adventure, I have challenged myself to face my fears, push my limits, live life to the fullest, and use my voice and actions to support others. In September 2019, I embarked on my biggest challenge yet with the goal to use ‘She SUPs Sydney’ as a vehicle for a change I hoped to see in our society to impact women and girls today and in the future.

Being a female adventurer/paddler can be tough, and it really shouldn’t be. By taking on this expedition, I hoped to challenge and raise awareness of deeply-rooted discriminatory social norms and stereotypes that often become a barrier to women pursuing adventurous activities such as stand-up paddleboarding. I hope women and girls will witness my paddle and be inspired to take to the water, climb that mountain they have always dreamt of or simply spend more time outside and not feel intimidated by others just because of their gender.

Previous challenges…