Claudia Kerckhoff-Van Wijk has been immersed in the Ottawa Valley whitewater rivers since a young age and has inspired thousands of people to try whitewater canoeing, kayaking and rafting.
Claudia is also one of the proud co-owners of OWL Rafting in Beachburg, Trip Advisor's recommended #1 rafting resort in the Ottawa Valley and Destination Canada's Canadian Signature Experiences. Claudia is a long time athlete, as she was the Canadian women’s whitewater kayaking champion from 1974 to 1985, Gold Medalist at the 1976 Pan Americans, and the Bronze Medallist at the 1982 World Championships.
In this episode, in partnership with Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation, Claudia and I chatted about:
🚣🏼♀️ How she and her father came to be the very first to kayak the Rocher Fondu whitewater rapids, and how OWL Rafting came to be
💰 How investing in financial aspects your business can be scary and nerve wracking, but leveraging funding avenues like RCCFDC can be helpful investment opportunities to allow you to grow and expand your business (and how RCCFDC helped contribute to the growth of OWL Rafting)
🙌🏻 Claudia reveals her greatest accomplishment in both paddling and in business
🚣🏼♀️ Community over competition, as Claudia shares how instrumental key community partners have helped contribute to the success of OWL Rafting, through acknowledging other OV whitewater rafting resorts like Wilderness Tours, Madawaska Coffee, and more!
