Magazine Jul to Aug 2017

MEMBER FEATURE

TURNING THE TIDE in the land of the Thunder Dragon By Christine Amour-Levar

As eleven of us advance resolutely into the flowing, glacial river, a rush of excitement grips us. Admittedly, we are all a little nervous; feeling apprehensive because the currents below are strong. After months of training in the warm tropical coastal waters of Singapore and Dubai, my ‘Women on a Mission’ teammates and I can hardly believe we are finally here, in Bhutan, to begin the challenge we set ourselves about a year ago. The pristine, gushing rivers of this hidden Himalayan kingdom are a brand-new environment for us to paddle in, and the moment is made even more exceptional because ultimately, we know we are here to support a very worthy cause, but also because the adventure itself is pioneering. Indeed, we are the first - the first team to ever Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) in the Kingdom of Bhutan and attempt the descent of two of its rivers. Our WOAM team’s added objective is to raise awareness and funds for RENEW, a charity founded by the Queen Mother of Bhutan, which is dedicated to the empowerment of women and children with specific attention to survivors of domestic violence. The charity offers survivors shelter and care to help them heal from their physical and emotional wounds, while also providing life skills training to allow them to eventually become financially independent. A few days earlier, we landed in Bhutan after a hair-raising, albeit breath- taking, final approach. Paro International Airport is known as one of the most challenging airports in the world. Its tiny airstrip is 2,200m (1.5 miles) above sea level and surrounded by sharp mountain peaks. Pilots have to manoeuvre dozens of houses scattered across the ridges, often while battling strong winds that whip through the valley, resulting in severe turbulence.

27 THE AMERICAN CLUB JUL / AUG 2017