“I believe the world can be what we make it.” – Mike Shoreman
In a world that is magical and challenging at the same time, it is sometimes difficult to navigate your way back to a positive mental state. Mike Shoreman, a former paddle boarding coach, faced his biggest challenge of all when he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome in 2018; a chronic condition which occurs when a virus responsible for the chicken pox attacks the facial nerves. This sudden onset caused a collapse in the right side of Mike’s face as well as impaired his vision, hearing, speech, and worst of all, his balance. It took some determination for Mike to allow a positive mentality to stop him from sinking. Today, during these tough times, a lot of us understand the struggles of resisting the urge to isolate ourselves or give up on our goals. As the pandemic rocks our lives, it is up to us to restore the balance. Take it from the Unbalanced Paddler himself:
“In 2018, I had a significant mental health journey and following that I felt a strong compulsion to make it better for others so they would not feel so alone in what they were facing. I have been an advocate for Jack.Org for a few years now as they are the leader in Canada’s youth mental health, providing programs and services in every province and territory. The future is youth and I believe we can support our youth especially in a year where they are already struggling so much. When doctors said I would never paddleboard again it was crushing. My identity, my business, my independence was gone. Now, here we are two years later crossing from the USA to Canada by paddleboard for Mental Health.”
As an advocate for overcoming life’s uncontrollable waves, Mike is planning on crossing through the 87 miles stretch of open water between Rochester, NY and Toronto, ON on a paddleboard. With perseverance, hard work, and assistance from the Toronto police and paddle boarding expert Gudrun Hardes, Mike will complete his 2 days crossing trip in the last week of August 2021. We, at World Gym Quebec, are very proud to support him on his mission because no tide is high enough to stop you from paddling through the journey you choose for yourself.
