After an impressive start in 2019, Diversify Whitewater not only survived the setbacks of the pandemic but is coming back stronger than ever in 2022 with an expanded mission, new talent on the board of directors, and different types of event programming. 

“We’re excited about this year and the impact we can have in bringing the joy of whitewater to people of different backgrounds,” said Lily Durkee, co-founder and president of Diversify Whitewater, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Fort Collins, CO, that increases access to paddlesports for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

In 2022, DW is on track to produce 13 events in nine U.S. states, including nine “signature” events—Community River Floats and Paddling Skills Days held on flatwater.

“The flatwater skills days are really fun because we have a lot of different kinds of boats, so we’ll have rafts, kayaks, SUPs, and canoes,” said Durkee. “These events are intended to provide skill-based instruction, and these are the events that often get newcomers the most excited about paddling.”

One of the newest DW board members, Satya Wimbish, experienced her first day of paddling at a DW Paddling Skills Day on Boyd Lake in Northern Colorado in 2020. 

“She also brought her two kids, and they’ve gotten excited about kayaking, too,” said Durkee. “In fact, they’ve even gotten their cat to go boating.” (You can see the proof @ThatCat_Pluto.)

Wimbish, an artist and entrepreneur based in Colorado Springs, CO, brings experience in art, photography, event and volunteer management, and working with multicultural communities to her board position.

Durkee is excited about the range of skills and experience represented among the Diversify Whitewater board members. Caroline Queen, based in Washington, DC, joined DW this year as CEO, taking the spot vacated by Antoinette Lee Toscano, who co-founded DW with Durkee and is now producer/creator of WhitewaterTV. Queen oversees the group’s fundraising efforts and financial management. 

Durkee describes Queen as a “superstar” in the paddling world. 

“She trained in whitewater slalom kayaking seriously in her teens, and went to the London Olympics in  2012 as the U.S. women’s kayaker,” said Durkee. “Plus, she has an MBA from Duke.”

Also joining the DW board this year is Adam Edwards, an accomplished kayaker, writer, model, arborist, and actor based in Portland, OR. In addition to bringing his strong network and passion for paddling to Diversify Whitewater, he writes for Melanin Basecamp. 

Other board members include Mike Harvey, co-founder of Badfish SUP; Evan Stafford, communications director at American Whitewater; David Terry, co-owner of Rocky Mountain Adventures; and Kay Lopez, a California-based artist, raft guide, and river instructor who serves as DW’s creative director. 

Increased funding expands programming opportunities

Diversify Whitewater has expanded funding this year through grants and individual donations, allowing the group to offer more and different types of events. (Individual donations can be made through Facebook, Venmo, or through the registration pages for individual events. Prospective volunteers can fill out this form to indicate interest.) In addition to the signature events, DW now offers paddling scholarships as well as event sponsorships for outfitters or other entities that have all the logistics in place and just need help with outreach or funding.

Diversify Whitewater continues to partner with groups including Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, and Outdoor Asian to drive participation for events among the BIPOC community. For the 2022 Northern Colorado signature event, DW has partnered with the City of Fort Collins, which will help with outreach to local schools and community groups. 

2022 marks the third year of Diversify Whitewater’s Community Float in Northern Colorado, a significant milestone for a nonprofit that started just before the pandemic disrupted events across the board. 

“Despite it all, DW has been able to scale,” said Durkee. “In addition to the strong foundation of existing board members, we were able to bring in new members with experience in planning big events. Our plan is to keep growing and get more people from different backgrounds out on the water.”

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