·S6 E21
Shannon Lonardo: One Terrifying Capsize Almost Ended Her Kayaking Story
Episode Description
Recorded at the 2025 Delmarva Paddlers Retreat, this episode finds Dubside talking with New England paddler and ER nurse Shannon Lonardo about her unexpected introduction to traditional kayaking—and the people who kept her coming back. Shannon shares how a canceled date led to paddle carving, a skin-on-frame kayak, and a growing love of paddling. Along the way, she recounts a frightening capsize, the frustration of learning to roll, and the satisfaction of finally tackling water that once felt impossible.
The conversation also visits a historic lifesaving station before moving into Shannon’s working life in the emergency department. With humor and candor, she talks about changing careers from accounting to nursing, the realities of patient care, and the first-aid concerns paddlers bring onto the water.
It’s a conversation about fear, persistence, helping one another, and the small victories that keep us moving forward.
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