Carly brings a passion for connection, confidence, and accessibility to her role as an ACA Level 1 Kayak Instructor. Nearly all of the lessons she teaches are adaptive lessons through the New England Healing Sports Association (NEHSA), a nonprofit organization that provides year round sport and recreation programming for individuals with disabilities.
Based in New Hampshire, Carly most often teaches at a beautiful spot on Little Lake Sunapee. Through NEHSA’s program schedule, she also teaches weekly lessons at Grafton Pond, the Concord River, and the Charles River. During the summer months, NEHSA’s adaptive kayak program hosts more than 300 sessions, providing opportunities for individuals with disabilities to experience the freedom and joy of being on the water.
Carly’s connection to paddling began during childhood camping trips with her family in Maine. Her parents had an Old Town canoe that Carly and her siblings often treated more like a floating dock than a canoe. She later discovered kayaking when her mother received a kayak for her 50th birthday. While living in Florida, Carly would take the kayak out on the bay with the family dog, occasionally enjoying close encounters with dolphins along the way.
Paddling became much more than a hobby after Carly graduated from college and began an internship with NEHSA. She was introduced to adaptive kayaking on her very first day and immediately saw the potential of the sport to create meaningful experiences.
“Since working with NEHSA, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the transformative experiences our adaptive athletes have on the water,” Carly shares. “I’ve seen wheelchair users experience the simple, yet profound, opportunity to look their peers in the eye while sitting in a kayak. I’ve seen individuals with autism find a sense of stillness and peace on the water. I’ve seen people with cognitive disabilities discover confidence and pride as they master a new skill.”
For Carly, those experiences have changed what paddling means to her. “Kayaking has become so much more than a hobby to me. It has become a way to create connection, build confidence, and open doors to experiences that everyone deserves the opportunity to have.”
Through her work with NEHSA, Carly is helping make those opportunities possible for hundreds of paddlers each year. Her dedication to adaptive instruction is a powerful reminder that paddling can create connection, independence, confidence, and a sense of belonging for people of all abilities.