On September 17, 2015, I started a job that would change the trajectory of my career and my life—I accepted the challenge to lead Skowhegan revitalization efforts as the Main Street Skowhegan (MSS) Executive Director.

During my first few months on the job, I led a town-wide strategic planning process. We solicited feedback from more than 500 members of our community. In survey responses and focus groups, when we asked what they hoped Skowhegan would look like in 10 years, so many of them named the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area as the #1 project for Skowhegan’s future.

As a result, Run of River became a major focus of the strategic plan and a top priority for MSS. I joined the Run of River Committee, assisted with the economic impact study, and started drafting grant applications.

Now, if you polled other Main Street directors around the country about their top priorities, I highly doubt many of them would name building a whitewater paddle and surf park in their downtown. I’m one of the lucky ones! Our work at MSS has become more important than just planning events—we’re leading major economic and community development initiatives that will improve the quality of life for everyone.

The positive economic impacts of whitewater parks became even more evident in 2017, when Skowhegan Town Manager, Christine Almand, and I took a trip to Colorado to visit several whitewater park communities. After meeting with business leaders in these towns, I WAS BEYOND SOLD on Run of River’s potential. Whitewater parks are proven tools for community revitalization.

It became my personal mission to make our whitewater park a reality—and to ensure our locals would enjoy using it, too. Thanks to a partnership with the Outdoor Sport Institute (OSI), we’re making that happen! MSS now leads Skowhegan Outdoors, an initiative to ensure equitable access to the outdoors. We host three activities per week, and we’re building a gear library with equipment that locals can borrow for free—which currently features standup paddle boards (SUPs), and will someday include whitewater kayaks and surf boards, all for residents to put to good use in the new destination.

I’m a believer that one should walk the walk if they are going to talk the talk, so I took advantage of an OSI whitewater kayaking training held on the West Branch of the Penobscot in 2019. Leaving Millinocket that weekend, I WAS HOOKED on the thrill of whitewater. This summer, I traded a kayak for a SUP, and I’ve been honing my whitewater paddling skills every chance I get, though I wish I could carve out more time on the water.

Someday I will—when I can walk down the street to Skowhegan’s downtown gorge, throw my board in the river, and surf our Waveshaper during my lunch break.

The realization of Run of River has become more than just a professional goal—it’s my passion project!

Image is courtesy of Outdoor Sport Institute.

I grew up on a dairy farm in rural Maine.  Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was fairly isolated and lonely as a young girl.  I learned a lot of important lessons around hard work and service to others, but I lacked the confidence necessary to step outside my very narrow comfort zone and navigate the realities of life.  

Opportunities for girls in sport were not vast in the 1980s, and I was far too insecure to participate in co-ed sport.  It was the invitation of the high school basketball coach that made the ultimate difference in my life path.  He stopped me in the hallway one day and asked if I would go out for the eighth-grade team.  Some youth aren’t yet equipped to dare greatly and take risks. I needed encouragement to step into the arena, and Coach Downer changed my life that day.  

From then on, I was hooked.  I loved the camaraderie, discipline, and competition that the game provided.  I also loved the person I could be while wearing the jersey.  At that time, the basketball court seemed to be the one place where girls who were strong, assertive, aggressive, and confident were celebrated.  It was here, between the lines, where I started to develop my self-confidence and wondered how far the game could take me.

It eventually led me to Bates, where I was fortunate to compete for female coaches for the very first time.  Representation certainly matters; it wasn’t until I saw strong, capable women at the helm that I began to consider a similar career path.  These role models helped me to dream bigger than I had imagined, and with an enormous leap of faith, I began my coaching journey.

I have held various coaching roles over the years, instructing youth, high school, and collegiate athletes, and I have worked with the top young talent in the nation as a USA Basketball coach.  Through each of these experiences, I have borne witness to the gifts of the game.  Regardless of age or level, a healthy competitive experience can impact one’s life in a transformative manner.

As I embark on my 30th year in this profession, I still feel a sense of wonder and excitement for the lessons the sport will reveal in time.  When I first wore the whistle, I assumed that my job was to control the developmental process for the student-athletes.  It turns out that the most effective means of empowerment is to relent control to others with love and trust.  Through this philosophy, I’ve gained inspiration and knowledge from unique perspectives, and I now know that collective leadership better serves the common good.  I am blessed to serve as a conduit for others in their quests to navigate their own journeys, and – in turn – we ALL continue to evolve through this amazing game and the wisdom it imparts.  

Friends have always seemed fascinated as to how I became a professional logging sports athlete. To me, it always felt like a natural career path…I grew up here in Maine cutting firewood with my family. I’m pretty sure I was helping stack wood since I was first able to walk! As I grew a little older my dad taught me how to split wood, and then, in my teenage years, how to safely run a chainsaw.

Growing up I had seen competitive chopping, sawing, and logrolling on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and it just looked like the most interesting sport out there! At 20, I was formally introduced to professional logging sports through other competitors. At the time there were very few competitions just for women. Though more than welcome to enter we were competing against men. I used that time to learn more and more events and develop the best techniques from anyone who would take the time to teach me.

At that time (early 2000’s), one of the few women’s championships was the World’s Open Lumberjill Contest in Boonville, NY. I competed there several times throughout my 20’s and 30’s, winning championships in axe throwing and peavey logrolling.

In 2010, I decided there needed to be a way for women in logging sports to show off our skills and make a little money while enjoying the sport we had fallen in love with – so, I talked to several ladies I’d competed with over the years, took out a loan from a local bank, bought a truck, trailer and all new equipment, and pitched my idea to anyone who would listen. That first year, we were hired to perform and compete at music festivals, state fairs, rodeos, and outdoor expos, on the road from June until October! We had AxeWomen shows booked coast to coast in the US and Canada!

2020 marks our 10th year in business; this was definitely a different year than we all had planned, with competitions canceled and 90% of our shows canceled or postponed. We’ve had much more free time than expected but made lemonade from lemons, worked hard on training, updated some of our equipment, and were able to begin a new chapter for AxeWomen! Our team has always been made up of world champions, world record holders and collegiate champions. This extra time allowed us to start the “AxeWomen Pathfinder Program,” welcoming teammates who are leaders in their professions – educators, law enforcement officers, scientists- who had shown interest and ability though had yet had the opportunity to compete professionally. We love our sport, and we love teaching our sport to others. This has been a perfect fit!

I am so thankful I was given the opportunity to choose this career path. During my 20 years (so far!) of competing professionally and 10 years of owning a business which coincides with my sport, I have won local and world championships, become the first person to logroll across the Mississippi River, taught celebrities how to axe throw and hundreds of children how to logroll. Yet, I am most thankful this journey led me to meet my husband. We can run the business together, travel together and compete together! And, really, what more could you ever want? I am thankful each and every day.

I arrived at Central Maine Technical College in August of 1993, hired as the Director of Housing and Athletics. Frankly, I think the main reason I was hired was to clean up a residence hall that was experiencing disobedience, fights, and had been an ongoing problem for the college. At 36, I was at an age where hard work came naturally, long hours didn’t bother me, and the challenge of changing the image of the residence halls was a motivator to show those who hired me they’d made a good decision.

I took over the basketball team at the end of the year.  I knew to be successful I had to bring in some talent to compete. And that is what I did. I recruited six talented basketball players to come to CM and play basketball.  Given our roster of six returning players and six newcomers, we were off to the races and winning some games early. Okay, mistake one. At the break, all six players I’d recruited failed their classes and were suspended. We now finished the season with six players, limping through a virtually winless second half. Lesson learned—recruit kids who wanted to go to college AND play basketball. I now relay that experience to all incoming coaches we hire so they don’t repeat my mistakes!

The 1997 season is when things really began to change. A new president, Dr. Scott Knapp, arrived on the scene and brought a “let’s get things done” attitude and a growth mindset. I couldn’t have been happier! We starting growing the enrollment and, with Dr Knapp’s support, expanded summer camps to bring in more revenue for the program. Baseball and softball were added to the mix as well.

The new century began with a name change. In 2003, the state decided to drop the name “technical” and started calling our colleges “community.”  What a difference a name can make! Enrollment, which had been growing each year since President Knapp’s first year, is now on a steady growth path and the results trickled down to the athletic program.

Our basketball program began to win each year. A twenty-win season became the norm. Recruiting players each off season became the standard. The publicity became positive and soon all knew about the Central Maine Community College basketball team. Our local newspaper (a time when local newspapers were really important to growth) covered our program regularly and always put a positive spin on our successes. Finding student athletes was not hard. Many kids throughout Maine wanted to come to CM and play basketball—and the wins mounted up.

During the last 27 years, I’ve gone along for the ride. My name is now on the basketball court. What an honor! However, that name represents many coaches, faculty, staff, and most importantly, players whose hard work and sweat are all over the court. A packed house became familiar. They were not in the gym to see me.  They wanted to see the passion and commitment it took to be part of the CM basketball program. It didn’t matter whether it was the women or men, fans love CM basketball. Go, Mustangs!

As we move forward, my name will forever be on the court.  For that, I am extremely grateful.

My running story is not a grand tale of overcoming a tragedy or regaining my health. I have been lucky on both those fronts. It has kept me healthy and helped me deal with the emotional turmoils that life throws at us all. I don’t have an epiphanic moment where running entered my life. I do remember why I started running. I was 10 years old, in fourth grade, when I participated in my elementary school’s two-mile trail race. I vividly remember the feeling of sprinting through the forest, down the pine needle riddled trail, circling a hayfield, and sailing back to the finish. I remember my lungs burning, sweat pouring off me, muscles churning to keep up to my heart’s desire, to simply win the school, to be the fastest. I wasn’t, but I came in second, outpaced by a 5th grader…

From that moment, I was hooked; thus began my dedicated running life. A passion arose, not one focused on winning, but one searching to find my limits. How far and fast could I go? I had lost sight of that passion and reason for long periods, where winning the race or reaching an arbitrary time goal on various road races from 5K’s to marathons was all it was about, but I eventually found my way back to the trails through ultra running.

That rediscovery of my running passion brought me back to my college days, where I hadn’t run for time or accolades, where I just ran for me. That is what Ultra running brings to my life; me against nature, me against the trails. My time is my time. As long as I enjoy the adventure, it is well worth the effort.

My 29 years of running have all led to my recent desire to tackle the daunting task of my first 100-mile run. My course of choice, Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness. The wilderness terrain is unforgiving with lots of elevation and technical foot placements nearly every step. Over the course of 37 hours, my trail running partner, Brian Emerson, and I would face this challenge head-on, together. With the exception of a no-choice, sleep deprivation 20-minute power nap on my part, we kept a steady pace and finished the course strong. We had our aches and pains along the way, but I thoroughly enjoyed pushing my body to the edge, being on the trail for hours on end, and trying to find my limit.

I don’t think I found it out there on this trail, but I know I was close.  Part of me will always wonder, how far could we have gone if we just kept going that day? It is that wonderment, that passion, and love for being out on a remote trail or mountain, that will keep me going for years to come. I may not be setting the fastest known times, or be even close to them, but I am there just the same, hitting the trails in the darkest hours, pushing my limits, with my lungs burning, sweat pouring off me, and those same muscles of my first trail run striving to keep up to my heart’s truest desire. How far can I go?

Making Memories

Looking back, it all started at our family cottage on Lake Champlain in northern Vermont.  At the time, we lived next door to a sporting camp and I have fond memories of fishing with guests, making bonfires on the shoreline, and exploring all the lake had to offer.  When my father and grandfather gave me my first boat at 12 years old, little did they know what they started!  Personally, I think they gave me that old boat just so they could take a break sometimes. I can hear them now, “Maybe if we give the kid his own boat we can get some sleep.” To this day, almost 40-years and a thousand trips later, I’m still taking people fishing, still exploring, and still loving every minute of it. Granted, my boat is a lot faster and fancier, and hopefully, my technique (and storytelling) has improved a little bit, but the thrill of sharing experiences on the water has never dulled.

After high school, I moved to Maine to go to Thomas College in Waterville and basically fell in love with the state. I was there to study and play soccer (although not necessarily in that order.) On the first morning of soccer pre-season, I was nervous and took a walk outside and around the field. The memory of watching the sun come up and the fog lift to reveal three deer feeding on the field is still with me today. I’d found a new home, met my wife Kellie, and we eventually settled in Belgrade Lakes where I started Maine Wilderness Tours. We are now Maine Wilderness Guide Service and this year is our 25th anniversary.

Guiding is all about making memories! Actually, that’s a lie – guiding is all about client safety, preparation, and due diligence, but that’s not as much fun to write about so let’s stick with making memories. When I look back over the last 25 years and reminisce about all the memorable experiences, I’m so thankful and humbled by this amazing journey. It seems like yesterday my father was taking me brook trout fishing, foraging for mushrooms, and hunting for wild asparagus. Now I get to lead these trips and see the excitement in other people’s eyes. Recently we’ve had the pleasure of getting more involved in our community and helping bring outdoor programming and events to kids and families in our area. As we move forward, we’re looking forward to making more memories by working with organizations like our local chambers, the Maine Sports Commission, and everyone who takes an interest in promoting the outdoors.

Mike Guarino is a Maine Guide and owner of Maine Wilderness Guide Service and Community Development Director at Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, Maine.

My career in the sports industry started in an unorthodox way. I was cut from the varsity team, however, unlike Michael Jordan, didn’t grow five inches and make the team the next year. I came to the realization my passion for sports needed to be satiated in a different way…

I was approached by Coach Conant, the girls basketball head coach and former boys basketball assistant coach, who knew how disappointed I was about being cut. He offered me the chance to be a part of something special. I served as the Manager of the Falmouth girls basketball team, yet, my role was similar to an Assistant Coach. I scouted other teams, worked players through drills, participated in practice, and gave advice to players. Coach Conant entrusted me in helping with shooting strategy and keeping track of shooting percentages from different points on the floor. This helped the team optimize shooting percentage by location on the court. It all made a difference as we advanced to the Western Maine Class B State Finals where we ultimately fell short against Lake Region. The silver lining was the girls demonstrated the grit and mental fortitude to go further than any other Falmouth girls basketball team had gone before!

I went on to study Sport Management at Ithaca College. When looking for experience, I actually ended up connected to Bill Ryan, Jr. through parents of a member of the Falmouth girls basketball team. Bill was starting the NBA Development League (now NBA G-League) expansion franchise which ultimately became the Maine Red Claws. I helped from the ground up – from scouting and helping Jon Jennings, original GM and President, to evaluating and drafting players to creating a marketing and corporate partnership plan to canvassing and helping market corporate ticket plans to local businesses. It all tied back to my service on that Falmouth girls basketball team. I then went on to work for the NBA Offices in London, the New Jersey Nets as they prepared to move to Brooklyn, and the New York Yankees in corporate business development. I worked for Endeavor and one of the biggest advertising agencies in the world, Publicis, to help with sponsorship and sports marketing strategy along with developing the organization’s gaming and esports consulting business.

This led me to Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, where I continue to work on gaming and esports, sports and entertainment. Back in February we produced the Twitch Rivals Streamer Bowl in Miami before the Super Bowl which was the cross-section of gaming and sports: 16 NFL Players and 16 Pro Gamers teamed up playing Fortnite to raise money for charity. It all goes back to putting my pride aside and helping the Falmouth girls basketball team. What’s more, my girlfriend is the daughter of one of the former Assistant Coaches and sister of one of the players on that team.

Getting cut from the varsity team and helping that girls team was the best thing that ever happened to me!

What’s the difference between sports and recreation? What is the difference between play and learning? My favorite activities are considered both sports and recreation, and I learn best while being playful. But there is one aspect that is not blended – it all happens OUTSIDE!

At this time of year, when the afternoon light is golden, the daytime temperatures are mild, and the ocean has been warmed by a long hot summer, my favorite activity is sea kayaking. I consider kayaking pure recreation – there are no rules, referees, boundaries or goals aside from staying afloat while watching seaweed wave in the swells, and navigating shoals and coves that larger boats can’t access. Kayaking also has the benefit of being transportation to an oceanfront vacation – where do you want to go? 

My boat has space at the bow and stern to store a tent, sleeping bag, food, ample fresh water, my hammock, a good book, warm clothes and a bottle of wine. Pair that capacity with a chart, tide table, a good weather app and the Maine Island Trail Guide, and I’ve got all I need for an excellent weekend. 

I got my first kayak about 25 years ago. It was a used banana yellow rental boat from L.L.Bean. And I mean used. The plastic hull was as rough as the barnacles it had been dragged across – and it consistently wanted to turn to starboard because the sun softened the hull. Five years later I upgraded to a boat that cut through the water in a straight line, no matter the weather conditions. That boat took me places, and at each place I met interesting people. Paddling the way I do it is like walking or jogging – I always maintain conversation pace so I can chat with others. I often post or host a trip on MeetUp so I can have the safety, and enjoyment of a group. The paddling community is not large, and over the years it’s been fun to build friendships, plan trips, and learn from each other’s adventures. 

I’ve always loved being outdoors, but I’ve grown as an outdoor leader because of kayaking. Last summer I got my third boat, I’ve been a Maine Guide for 5 years, I spent the winter studying oyster and seaweed aquaculture so I could better understand the changes that I see on our working waterfront, I’ve been a Wilderness First Responder for 7 years, a sea kayak trip leader, and volunteer-led many outings for organizations that want to offer a sea level perspective. And as the Executive Director of Teens to Trails, I am a firm believer that Life Happens Outside® and that time outdoors with peers is critical for teenage development. It creates love and care for each other, ourselves, and our planet. I hope to see you out on the water!

Clara has always been a competitive athlete – and her story is one of resilience. She was a gymnast, runner and skier growing up in Maine, but at age 12, she broke two neck vertebrae and suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury at gymnastics practice, halting her athletic career. In early college, after years of rehabilitation, relearning how to walk and adapting to life with significant nerve impairments, she acquired her first modified road bike as a means to become active again, and it quickly turned into a passion.

While working for a bike touring company post-graduation, she met a client who served on the Paralympic Advisory Committee who urged her to pursue competitive Paralympic cycling. Within weeks of that meeting, she found herself at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center at a talent identification camp. She showed immense promise and has since had stellar results and continues to progress on the world stage after only two years in the sport.

A close friend of our Director, Sheila, since her toddler days in their lakeside neighborhood (bonding over snacks and stories), Clara shares her enthusiasm for competing in Tokyo Summer ’21:

This past Monday marked one year out from the postponed Tokyo Paralympic Games, which will now take place next summer, immediately following the Olympic Games. I have been training harder than ever, staying focused on the end goal of bringing home some hardware for Team USA on both the road and the track. Though the 2020 racing season was cut short, my performance at the Track World Championships earlier this year (prior to the global pandemic) unofficially solidified my spot on Team USA. The official naming ceremony will take place after the conclusion of the Paralympic Team Trials in Minneapolis next June.

In April, I relocated to Whitefish, Montana, where I have been loving the opportunity to train on big mountain climbs with incredible views along the way. But Maine will always hold a special place in my heart, and I was fortunate to be able to make an extended trip back this summer and ride the familiar roads that I grew up on.