Ep144 Kelsey Pfendler Great Pacific Race with Hericane Rowing

March 23, 2023
Kelsey Phendler grew up in the Adirondack region of New York state where she found her passion for water. She began as a competitive swimmer and then discovered Whitewater kayaking and rafting when she was 18. Her passion pulled her from the lower volume rivers of the Adirondacks to the rivers of Colorado and eventually the Grand Canyon. In 2020 Kelsey Joined the USA Open Women Raft Race Team and represented the United States in the World Rafting Competition in Bosnia, where her team won several medals and placed 2nd overall.

Kelsey is captivated by the ability strong role models have to shape the way you view your own potential. In her ten years as a professional Grand Canyon Boatman and River Guide of ten years, female role models were not always easy to find. Her role models are visions of strength and perseverance. For Kelsey seeing women excel and lead in the outdoors was pivotal to her development in the outdoors. The Great Pacific Race offers a way to not only examine the grit of human spirit but to also represent the strength women possess.

While working in Grand Canyon, Kelsey rows boats loaded with gear and passengers 226-mile trips in every weather condition imaginable from spring to fall. Consequently, she is no stranger to the perseverance needed to smile in the face of physical and environmental adversity. She is excited by the mental and physical challenge of the Pacific crossing. The ocean represents a relentless power of nature, so she is humbled in her quest to exist within that force. Working with a strong group of women is where Kelsey thrives. She believes having the dream of chasing the Women's World Record all the way to Hawaii alongside women that share that same dream will be a deeply transformational experience.

Hericane Rowing on IG and TikTok
Kelsey on IG
Great Pacific Race
USGS species management