“Dwell profoundly. Refuse indifference. Inclusivity. Shake the mud.”
— SARAH RUHLEN
Grief swept throughout the paddling group following the surprising loss of life of boater Sarah Ruhlen earlier this month. Ruhlen handed away in Crossville, Tenn., on August 3 on account of issues of sort 1 diabetes, a illness that her obituary described as one thing, “she by no means allowed to decrease her ardour for residing to the fullest or the enjoyment she unfold amongst her household and lots of buddies.”
Born and raised within the Southeast, Ruhlen began boating at a younger age and grew up within the paddling group, ultimately occurring to grow to be an teacher on the Nantahala Outside Heart. She devoted a lot of her life to her ardour for being on the water, media creation, and uplifting individuals within the open air via her work. Again in 2017, BRO highlighted her all-women edit for the 2017 Tallulah Fest within the story “How Sarah Ruhlen is Redefining Kayaking Movies,” which described how Ruhlen wished to extend the illustration of girls within the sport.
“Paddling is my ardour, or extra particularly—the folks that make up the paddling group,” Ruhlen wrote on her web site, Sarah Ruhlen Catalyst Media. “What I like most about media is the best way I can each present these individuals, and create content material for them that helps additional the stoke.”
Since her passing, paddlers from throughout the nation have posted on-line remembrances of Ruhlen, commemorating the constructive impression she made on the group. Amongst them was the group of Dagger Kayaks, an organization that labored with and supported Ruhlen’s work.
“Sarah Ruhlen contributed her coronary heart and soul to whitewater and she or he left a robust impression upon all of us on the Dagger Crew,” Dagger workers posted on Fb. “One in every of Sarah’s favourite quotes was ‘thriving’ or ‘by no means not thriving.’ With all her diabetic struggles and a few of her different well being points, she at all times saved a constructive perspective and inspired others concurrently.”
Ruhlen was significantly keen on the annual Inexperienced River Narrows Race, the intense kayaking competitors that takes place each fall in western North Carolina. The race introduced on its Fb web page that this 12 months’s race will probably be devoted to Ruhlen.
“Sarah Ruhlen was a key group member right here on the Inexperienced Race who handed away too younger and too quickly,” race representatives posted. “Genuine to the core, she was particular and will probably be sorely missed. Earlier than we get into the standard banter, hype, and all issues Inexperienced Race we need to let everybody know this 12 months’s race is devoted to her.”
Cowl photograph of Sarah Ruhlen by Mitch Bearden
