SUP Manila Paddle Tribe

Mele Kalikimaka from us to you and your family! We are grateful for every single one of you! 🎄❄️

Join😁

Amazing woman...

Disbelief... 19-year-old Duna Gordillo crosses the line to claim the ISA distance race world title after almost two hours of paddling against competitors far older and more experienced. The look on her face says it all, but the only one surprised by the win was Duna herself - all of us watching had simply been waiting for this moment.

Duna was mobbed by her Spanish teammates as soon as she finished, many of them hailing from the same little club on the island of Mallorca where they've trained together for the past decade. It was an extraordinary moment in a young career that holds limitless potential.

I first met Duna as a 9-year-old at a race on her home island, and from a young age it was clear that she and her friends were destined for big things. It wasn't that they were world beaters back then - they were scrappy little kids still learning how to paddle - rather it was the spirit of the club that was clearly special. The adults and older kids all worked tirelessly to give the "niños y niñas" the opportunity to train hard and have fun on the water with their friends. Week after week, month after month, year after year they trained together.

So while the gold medal will go around Duna's neck, this victory rests on the shoulders of the entire Mar Balear SUP club.

An equally amazing performance from runner-up Espe Barreras who made it a brilliant 1-2 for Team Spain after her and Duna broke the field early. Espe finished just seconds behind her teammate and an incredible four minutes ahead of the chase pack. The gold & silver result highlights Spain's place near the top of this "new wave" of SUP.

Special mention goes to bronze medalist Melanie Lafenetre who has busted out of the shadows of her older French teammates to announce herself as a genuine contender. And a very special mention to 4th/5th place finishers, the comeback queens Lina Augaitis and Jenny Kalmbach who showed the original generation isn't done yet.

🥇 Duna Gordillo 🇪🇸 1:47:07
🥈 Espe Barreras 🇪🇸 1:47:09
🥉 Melanie Lafenetre 🇫🇷 1:51:01
4th: Lina Augaitis 🇨🇦 1:51:48
5th: Jenny Kalmbach 🇵🇦 1:51:56
6th: April Zilg 🇺🇲 1:52:25
7th: Lena Ribeiro 🇧🇷 1:56:16
8th: Stephanie Shideler 🇺🇲 1:57:36
9th: Amandine Chazot 🇫🇷 1:59:17
10th: Rosalie Novloski 🇧🇷 2:00:21

photo credit

Envy😁love it💪😁❤️