For Jasmin ‘Yaz’ Muratagic and Eoghan Ryan, the thought of paddleboarding around the whole of Grand Cayman does not concern them, as they consider it a challenge they will ‘love’ taking on.
The two paddleboarders are set to journey an estimated 70 miles next month to raise money for Acts of Random Kindness – an organisation that assists “people in unique circumstances of crisis”, according to its website.
“If we can raise money doing what we love, that’s our goal,” Ryan told the Cayman Compass.
Ryan and Muratagic, along with boat crew Kiristen Cousins and Chad Guenter, are expected to begin their journey around the island on 11 Nov. at 9pm, starting off of Hog Sty Bay on the George Town waterfront.
Muratagic, who will be the lead paddleboarder, said he hopes to finish by late morning/early afternoon the following day.
“We are doing it because we can do it,” he said. “When you’re capable of doing something like this, you try to go and do it. It should take us about 14 to 17 hours.”
He noted that their trip for charity requires training every day and having the right diet.
“We’ve done things like this before, so we know how our bodies work,” Muratagic said. [It is as] mental as it is physical… [but] when you do something every day and you enjoy it, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Paddling across miles of ocean to raise money for non-profits isn’t new to this team. Previously, they have raised funds for local charities including the NCVO, for which they paddled about 80 miles from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman in 2019.
They have also taken on similar challenges overseas, with the four of them paddleboarding in Canada for charity.
Cousins said while she believes in her crew’s capabilities to complete the goal, she doesn’t mind taking the baton to ensure they finish what they started.
“I am supporting,” Cousins told the Compass. “If they need us to do relay format, I’m game to do whatever we need to do. I have paddled long distances with these guys before. Our most recent one was 100 km [across the Saskatchewan River] and I’m ready to do it again.”
And, according to Ryan, who has been paddleboarding for nearly eight years, only Mother Nature stands in the way of them setting off on 11 Nov.
“The weather is the only thing that could stop us,” he said. “We need a bit of luck and, hopefully, if the date lines up with the weather, we’re going. But we’re not going to go if the conditions are not favourable.”
Muratagic added that he and his three teammates are hoping that the public supports their efforts with donations for ARK, but said it is also about spreading awareness for those people who need a helping hand.
“The challenge is to raise money,” he said. “A dollar, $200,000, it doesn’t matter, it all counts. Whatever they can afford…It all adds up.”
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