{"id":29777,"date":"2023-08-06T01:00:13","date_gmt":"2023-08-06T08:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=29777"},"modified":"2023-08-03T15:37:05","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T22:37:05","slug":"ganga-girls-building-an-all-female-crew-on-the-ganga-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2023\/08\/06\/ganga-girls-building-an-all-female-crew-on-the-ganga-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Ganga Girls: Building an All-Female Crew on the Ganga River"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests comes together to work toward the same goals. They say the strength of a community is measured by the selfless actions of each individual member towards the well-being of the whole, and the entire crew of Ganga Girls lived up to just that.<\/p>\n

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When I started kayaking in 2013<\/a> there were hardly any other women paddlers around. It took nearly a decade to finally form a community of serious women paddlers on my home river in Rishikesh. Just a year after I started paddling, I competed in the annual Ganga Kayak Festival and was one of few female competitors. At the 2023 Ganga Kayak Festival, we maxed out the women\u2019s roster, which sparked an idea: an all-female multi-day expedition on the Ganga. I immediately started planning and recruited a group of women who had competed at the festival.<\/p>\n

For months I worked with the girls on and off the water. We paddled together, strengthening our skills and trust in each other. On land, I helped them pack and assured them\u2014and their seniors and parents\u2014that they were capable of this expedition.<\/p>\n

Then, in April, eight young women from Rishikesh set out on an expedition on the Ganga River and formed the ‘Ganga Girls’.<\/p>\n

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We paddled from the confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. For most of the girls, this was their first multi-day kayaking expedition. In fact, I had never done an expedition on the Ganga despite it being my home river. This trip was special to each of us, but to have so many girls come together and do an expedition was a remarkable milestone for our kayaking community.<\/p>\n

The most pivotal moment for my kayaking happened in 2022 when I took my first international kayaking trip to Chile<\/a>. Before then, not only had I never left my country, but I had also never paddled with an all-female group. I had never had that opportunity in India. All my instructors growing up, and most even today, have been men. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.<\/p>\n

Paddling with Chicas al Agua<\/a> gave me a new perspective on kayaking community. It demonstrated how having women mentors can psychologically bolster a young girl’s morale and self-esteem. Just like in a child’s development, having both a mother and father figure in their lives contributes to healthy growth. So, too, in sport. One woman mentoring another is a unique form of solidarity and kinship.<\/p>\n