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Hailing from the Hawaiian islands, Ann Yoshida, made a name for herself in the paracanoe and adaptive surfing worlds. She was the #1 female adapted paddler in the US and was a member of the USA Canoe/Kayak National Team. She also went on to compete in the Brazil 2016 Paralympics. Did we mention she’s also an occupational therapist? Read on to learn all about Ann Yoshida, a woman who knows a thing or two about being fierce.
Why She’s Fearless
After becoming a paraplegic in a car accident in 2000 (the car she was in was hit by a truck running a red light), Ann had no interest in giving up on outdoor sports. Before her injury, skiing and snowboarding were sports she fell in love with while attending Brigham Young University in Utah. She also studied gymnastics for 12 years, as well as was an avid surfer and bicycler-rider.
Upon re-entering the world a paraplegic, Ann got back into sports quickly and dabbled in every adaptive sport she was interested in. Adapted kayaking and paddling, rock climbing, horseback riding, canoe surfing, surfing on her stomach, 4-wheel mountain biking/hiking, handcycling, wheelchair tennis and mono-skiing.
Paracanoe however became one of her full-time sport obsessions. Ann was ranked the #1 female adapted paddler in the country in 2013. She also competed in the 2013 National Team Trials in Lake Placid, NY, making it on the USA Canoe/Kayak National Team. And in 2016, Ann became the first US woman to compete in Paracanoe/Kayak at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. She is the first native Hawaiian to be a Paralympian.
Another sport Ann loves is canoe surfing, a sport that can be done with able-bodied people, and she loves adaptive surfing. She is the first female competitive adaptive surfer as well. In 2017, she became the first female adaptive surfing world champion at the ISA World Championship; a title she won three more years in a row.
AccessSurf , a nonprofit in Hawaii that helps people with disabilities go adaptive surfing, is a huge part of Ann’s life. She works part-time as an Innovation and Training Specialist, helping anyone with a disability who wants to try adaptive surfing a chance to do so.
What’s Next?
Ann also went on to found the nonprofit, Life Accessed, that specifically helps empower women with disabilities in any way possible. They provide consultations, training, rehabilitation and speaking. She’s also an Occupational Therapist and has her Masters in Rehab Psychology. She worked as a Professor of Social Occupational Therapy at Far East University, a private college in Korea.
And Ann loves to travel, having traveled extensively throughout Nepal and Singapore with her 4-wheel mountain bike, where she interacted with villagers, showing them how life can still be full despite paralysis. She also bought a farm, and farms native and endemic Hawaiian plants.
Ann is a passionate athlete and it has taken her to some amazing places. And what really makes her shine is how she’s dedicated her life to helping others with disabilities discover the same joy she’s experienced through water.
ideas@spinalpedia.com
