JUPITER, Fla. — A Jupiter woman has turned her love for paddleboarding into a full-time hobby that has her paddling across the seven seas.
Paddleboarding, for many, is a fun day at the beach. But for Lindsey Tilton, it's a sport that has her paddling for two days straight, pushing her mind and body to new limits.
What exactly is endurance paddleboarding?
American anthropologist Loren Eiseley once said, "If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
It's a statement backed by Lindsey Tilton.
"I've always loved the water. I've always felt the most calm near the ocean. I say my biggest life decisions have been made by the ocean," said Tilton, who calls Jupiter home these days, but her love for water started back home. "I grew up originally in New Jersey in a small beach town. Very similar to the town here in Jupiter."
Growing up, she tore through the waves on her surfboard.
However, she looked for ways to stay in shape during the pandemic.
"After college, I moved to the Washington D.C. area in a suburb of Virginia about four hours away from the nearest ocean. I started paddling there recreationally," said Tilton, who joined a paddleboard yoga class and found her true love.
"That summer, I brought a board. I recreationally paddle, and like I said, I was doing my yoga teaching training, so I went and got certified in paddleboard yoga," said Tilton.
While she loved paddleboard yoga, Tilton decided to challenge herself at The Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis.
"Which is an 80-mile paddle from Bimini, Bahamas, to Lake Worth Beach, Florida," said Tilton.
She completed all 80 miles and fell in love with endurance paddleboarding.
What is endurance paddleboarding? Simply put, it's paddling for long periods to improve stamina, balance, strength and overall body performance.
It's a sport for Tilton that has her in the paddleboard record books.
"When I did the Alabama 650 this year, that's a 10-day paddle of more than 65 miles a day. I was the first female to complete it on a standup. I think endurance paddling is an avenue for women to show and prove how strong they really are," said Tilton.
