Winter Motivation

We are currently in the depths of Winter and all the different types of weather it brings – from the cold but bright, crisp mornings to the dull, rainy ones and everything in between! Paddling or doing any sport in the Winter is tough, particularly if your motivation fluctuates – I know mine does hugely. 

I have been following Hunted’s star Jordan Wylie MBE on social media for a few years now. We are proud to have been one of his Supporting Organisations during The Great British Paddle. Jordan was the first man to attempt to circumnavigate Great Britain, having only been on a paddleboard for a few months. I am confident Jordan would have succeeded had Covid not put an end to his attempt. After 149 days, 7 hours and 36 minutes and 2377.29 KM the Scottish Government pulled the plug but through his incredible adventure, Jordan raised enough money to build a school on the Horn of Africa, after a promise made to a young boy there. Incredible! 

Why am I telling you this; because Jordan believes motivation is not always the key as sometimes it is there and sometimes not. During the summer, it’s a whole lot easier, lighter and longer days encourage us all to go out and get on the water. Jordan feels that discipline is more important, regularity and doing the hard yards, especially if you are feeling slow, laboured and unmotivated. As someone who has personally felt these issues, I follow Jordan on social media for his nuggets of real inspiration. For years, he has been pushing his boundaries with some pretty crazy adventures. The latest was travelling down to Antarctica to summit pristine, unclimbed peaks and reach the South Pole. Achieve this, he did, once again raising money for others. Jordan said “I am on an incredible mission to raise £100,000 for the Army Cadet Charitable Trust UK, and I need your help. Together, we can create life-changing opportunities for young people from some of the most challenging backgrounds and communities.” Watch the Jordan Wylie MBE 2026 Showreel here. 

I believe that Aquapaddle will have a huge part to play in your ‘discipline’ over the Winter. It’s not only a regular event, but you also have the company and support of others (particularly important when motivation is low) and if you’ve committed to others that you will be there, you generally show up. You also know that you have a complete safety cover system in place which is so, so important at this time of the year.  

I paddle on my own most of the time, and I find it very easy to talk myself out of it; one of my hacks is to have the van loaded up the night before and all my kit ready by the door. Not always easy as I wouldn’t leave my beautiful carbon race board on the van if it’s frosty! I am so much more motivated if I have arranged to meet a friend; we also train harder so that’s a win too! 

There is also nothing more motivating than seeing your times get better. I know, I know! Aquapaddle (like Parkrun) is not a race, but you are timed and getting a PB really makes you want to return.  

Paddling during the Winter really is all about finding those little things that make your ability to step out of the door, so much easier. Some of my best paddles have been the ones where I was ‘not’ going and ‘not’ feeling it. Arriving when the river has a bit of ice on it, or murky flow that makes me doubt my ability, isn’t helpful but pushing through that and getting myself and my board on the water, is rewarding. 

If this sounds like you, then I think you are in the right place with Aquapaddle. A regular meet up with like-minded paddlers, in a safe environment and hopefully a social catch up too. We all know how good the water is for our well-being, particularly if you suffer from Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression that usually happens in the winter.  

It’s worth reading the science behind the book, “Blue Mind – How Water Makes You Happier, More Connected and Better at What You Do” by the late author Wallace J. Nichols. You can listen to a great podcast hosted by SUPfm here: Blue Mind with Dr Wallace J Nichols – Simon explains “The book re-defines how we see water, by connecting all the benefits and the science for a life changing substance whose value to many of us has been hidden in plain sight.” 

Another good way to keep going is to have a focus, maybe an event or race that you have set your sights on. You may not have raced ever, or feel that it’s not your thing, but I would always encourage you to have one scary thing on the horizon (a good friend taught me this!) and if this is your first race, then give it a whirl! You may find you love it and you may find you are much more competitive than you thought.  

Many races have a ‘leisure’ fleet, which means you are not part of the main body of the race, you travel at your own pace and won’t receive a podium place, which may take the pressure off – it’s a great way to get involved, and if you’ve been on an Aquapaddle start line already, you will be ahead of the game. 

Here at SUPjunkie we have created a race and events calendar – on it you will find a whole host of different kinds of challenges, from the National Series to some great standalone races. In date order, and with direct links to find out more, we really hope it will inspire you. SUP RACE CALENDAR UK & WORLDWIDE.xlsx 

 Maybe it really IS worth getting out there for Winter training – Happy Paddling. 

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