At dawn on November 11, when most of Southern California still slept, a father and daughter pushed a 2-man outrigger canoe off Catalina Island and began the 33-mile voyage towards Huntington Beach. This Veterans Day, they paddled together across the channel for OpenWater’s Veterans Day Channel Crossing, joining the crew of 46 other First Responders and Veterans paddling OC1, OC2, SUPs and prones.
Kiersten, an experienced rower at the Newport Aquatic Center (NAC), began training in an outrigger canoe with her father, who is a part of OpenWater. NAC partners with OpenWater; a program that supports the health and wellness of every First Responder and Veteran through unique training programs, fellowship, and open water experiences.
For Thoby and his daughter Kiersten, this journey was special. It was far more than a physical challenge; it was a sweet time of bonding, grit, perseverance, and an adventure they will never forget.
Discovering the Water
Kiersten’s relationship with the Newport Aquatic Center began with a desire to try something new.
“I was looking for a sport that was on the water and that I hadn’t tried before, which is when I came across the NAC and started rowing,” she says.
“My dad has also known Danny [OpenWater’s co-founder] for a long time and I have known about OpenWater since the first year my dad did the crossing. A few months after I started at NAC, we started training together in an outrigger canoe, with plans to do this event together this year.”
For Kiersten, the NAC quickly became more than a training facility. “I am extremely grateful for having access to a facility as amazing as NAC. It has great equipment and resources, and I love going there to train. The NAC has been a fundamental part of my life since I started rowing, and I think it is something that many people enjoy having access to.”
Her father, Thoby, meanwhile, began paddling years before.
“I have known the co-founder, Danny Nichols, for a number of years since volunteering with him through a different organization,” Thoby explains. “I started paddling with Danny and training for the first crossing in 2019. It started with Danny really wanting to connect veterans, first responders, and community members through the medium of spending time in the water, hence OpenWater.”
Since then, OpenWater has grown, and its partnership with NAC has expanded along with it.
The Meaning Behind the Miles
For Thoby, the Veteran’s Day Channel Crossing (VDCC) carries weight far beyond the physical challenge.
“I think the channel crossing is a great way to spend time with people to talk about and reflect on some of the sacrifices our veterans have made for this country. There are a number of different events people do in recognition of important dates, and this is no different.”
He sees the paddle as both an act of remembrance and an act of connection. “It offers a bonding experience for anyone who has ever done it, and it creates lasting relationships. I think it offers an opportunity for people in the community to show support for veterans and first responders, it humanizes many first responders and veterans to the people we have chosen to serve, and it is a way to connect with other community members that you may not have had an opportunity to connect with.”
The challenge also reinforces an important truth. “I think constantly challenging yourself physically is a good reminder that we are all human, and the channel crossing (although generally an individual endeavor) is very much a team effort. This could not be accomplished without significant logistical work and coordination, volunteers in operating vessels, and most importantly, the camaraderie and encouragement from others participating in the crossing.”
A Father–Daughter Accomplishment
For Kiersten, completing the 33-mile channel was deeply personal.
“Completing the crossing with my dad was an amazing experience and one of the best days of my life,” she says. “I think it was a good experience, and I loved getting to spend time with him when we trained. I think it was a good thing for us to do since my brother does all the snowboarding, skating, and surfing with him, and this was my unique thing.”
Thoby felt the same. “It was great. I have done the crossing as an individual and as a relay on a prone paddleboard. Being able to complete it with my daughter is an unforgettable experience that I will always remember when I look at the island. I get to surf and play soccer with my son quite often, so having an activity like this that I could experience with my daughter was extra special.”
Teamwork, Trust, and Two Paddles in Open Water
As a rower, Kiersten is used to the rhythm of many athletes moving as one. But the channel crossing demanded a different kind of endurance.
“One of the things I love about rowing is how the combined effort of the team on the water gets to make the boat go faster; however, when there is only two people, it is much harder to go as fast, and it is also more of a mental strain,” she says.
“When you are with a team, there are a lot of people around you, and you are only about 12.5% of the boat, but when it is two people in the outrigger, it is much more of a mental and physical struggle. I think sometimes I would just think about how stopping would be nice, but with only two people, you must keep going, since you are 50% of the boat.”
A Community That Lifts Each Other Up
Both father and daughter point back to the community that made the crossing possible — a network of paddlers, volunteers, coaches, and friends who show up day after day.
“The NAC has been amazing for me,” Kiersten says. “Training there with the people is one of the best things I get to do. The Newport Aquatic Center community is unique and full of many driven people who want you to be the best you can. It is a facility with hardly any others like it, I think it helps me grow both physically and mentally as a person, with many good examples to lead the water.”
Thoby echoes that gratitude. “The paddling and rowing community are wonderful. The opportunity that partnering with NAC has presented is amazing. Having the ability to train and complete the crossing on one of NAC’s vessels, as well as the support from their escort boats really make this possible.”
A Journey That Stays With You
Every person who has paddled across the Catalina Channel carries those miles with them — the quiet stretches of open ocean, the physical fatigue, the teamwork, the shared purpose. For Thoby and Kiersten, those miles now also hold a memory only the two of them share.
Their 33-mile crossing was not just a paddle. It was the claiming of something uniquely theirs: a father and daughter accomplishing an outstanding feat together, crossing the Catalina Channel and growing closer than ever before.