End of Year Recap - Our First Year!
As WWoW is approaching its one year anniversary, we’re finally catching our breath long enough to sit down and reflect. What a year it has been! While WWoW is still very much in its infancy, the past twelve months have been full, meaningful, and powerful in ways we could never have imagined. Here’s a look back at WWoW’s first year.
A Year in Highlights
January 7, 2025: Worldwide Women of Whitewater officially launched as a brand-new nonprofit organization.
February 12-13, 2025: WWoW hosted a booth at the BANFF World Tour Film Festival in Grand Junction, CO. The film RiverMamma, screened alongside.
March 2, 2025: WWoW held its first in-person fundraiser in Salida, Colorado.
March 26, 2025-April 2, 2025: WWoW ran NariNauka II, the second women’s guide school on the Ganga River near Riskikesh, India.
May 1-12, 2025: WWoW partnered with River Wild Adventures in Scotland to scout venues and develop a women’s guide school program planned for Spring 2026.
June 12-15, 2025: WWoW hosted a booth at FIBArk in Salida, Colorado. We participated in the festival’s first-ever Women of Whitewater Showcase Float.
July 30, 2025: WWoW hosted a “Whatever Floats Your Boat” craft and yoga gathering in Cañon City, Colorado, where women connected over paddling and made earrings from up-cycled raft material.
September 12-14, 2025: WWoW hosted a booth at the USRA National Qualifier Raft Races on the Trinity River in California.
October 18, 2025: WWoW hosted a booth at the Becoming The River Literary Festival in Coloma, California
November 21, 2025: Four of the NariNauka women passed the India Guide exam, making history and breaking a glass ceiling!
November 22, 2025: WWoW hosted a Caturday Fundraiser in Cañon City, Colorado.
December 1-6 2025: WWoW sponsored three US Women’s Raft Race Teams at the World Rafting Championships in Malaysia.
December 21, 2025: WWoW closed out the year in style with a Valkyrie Solstice themed Gala, raising critical funds to support our 2026 programming.
Gratitude for a Community that Made It Happen
Our silent auction fundraiser in Salida, Colorado on March 2nd 2025 was a resounding success and directly enabled us to run NariNauka II, even after critical funding from the Indian Tourism Department fell through at the last minute.
We want to offer a huge bow of gratitude to every single person who helped make it happen.
From everyone behind the scenes: board members, volunteers, donors, and sponsors – to every single face that showed up, bid on an item, drank a beer, or simply came to show support and spread stoke – thank you.
NariNauka would not have happened without each and every one of you. From all of us at WWoW, and from all of the women of NariNauka – thank you.
India - NariNauka
NariNauka, which means “Boat Woman” in Hindi, was the vision of WWoW co-founder Jeremy Ann Anderson and a major catalyst for the creation of WWoW itself. The first NariNauka ran in March 2024 as a five-day women’s guide school on the Ganga River near Rishikesh, with fourteen women from the Uttarakhand region of India.
It became immediately clear that this program was deeply needed, and that it would require years of continued support to become truly self-sustaining.
Where the Women of NariNauka are now
Of the fourteen women from the first NariNauka, ranging in age from 17-39, and in experience from professional kayakers to non-swimmers – their paths over the past year have been extraordinary:
One worked as a guide on the West Glacier River in Iceland
One worked at a summer camp in North Carolina, guiding on the Nantahala River
Two competed in the Kayak Freestyle World Championships in Germany
Six worked as raft guide interns on the Ganga and other rivers in India - including one who works on the Zanskar River
Three paddle on India’s U23 Women’s Raft Racing Team
One continues to train diligently in both rafting and swimming while seeking an internship
NariNauka II: Progress, Barriers, Reality
NariNauka II was a step up, bringing together seven of the girls from the first Narinauka, and two new girls with some prior rafting experience. Every single one of them showed up with grit, determination, and heart.
Six earned upgrades to their existing ACA Raft Guide Certifications and two earned new ACA assessments.
Working closely with these women, and alongside the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, revealed a deeper and more complex web of barriers than we had previously understood.
Aside from the familiar gender bias female guides face worldwide, these women encounter structural hurdles that we hadn’t fully grasped before: exams that run infrequently, physically unrealistic testing standards, and limited institutional support, just to name a few.
And yet – they persist.
Several of the women shared that when NariNauka trainers are present, it’s easy for them to feel empowered and capable of anything. When we leave, it can feel isolating and discouraging. Hearing that reinforced how important it is that WWoW be a long-term support system, not just a one or two-time training program.
Like ripples in water, we believe the impact of this work will continue to expand, empowering not only these women, but many more for generations to come. NariNauka II was and is powerful. We can’t wait to see what it continues to grow into!
NariNauka II: Momentum
Since the conclusion of NariNauka II, there has been real tangible progress.
On November 21, 2025, four of the women successfully passed the India Guide Exam! This is a major milestone, both for the women personally and for India historically. Pinki, Naina, Sheetal and Beena literally made history that day. Their performance was strong across the board and notably the women collectively outperformed the majority of the men who took the same exam. That level of competence did not go unnoticed.
In response, the Indian government has begun revising and removing several outdated components of the guide exam regulations. While change is rarely fast, this shift represents meaningful institutional acknowledgement of what these women are capable of when given access and opportunity.
There is a fifth woman, Mou, who did not pass the exam during this round. As a non swimmer and single mom, she has faced additional barriers in securing a consistent internship, which has limited her training opportunities. Even so, she is eligible to retake the India Guide Exam in May and her progress over the past year has been remarkable. She now swims effectively in the river while wearing a PFD, a significant achievement that speaks to her commitment and dedication. WWoW is currently working to secure regular swimming lessons for her throughout the winter.
What stands out is not only that these women are passing exams, but that their professionalism and skill are actively shifting perceptions at an institutional level. Their success has created momentum – not just for themselves, but for the women, and men, who will follow them.
There is still much work ahead, but this moment feels like a turning point. Watching these women meet impossible standards, exceed expectations, and quietly reshape a system simply by showing up prepared has been one of the most powerful reminders of why this work matters.
NariNauka has been continually supported by Red Chilli Adventures, who has seen and believed in our vision from the very beginning. We are proud of the high level of professionalism that their company and staff consistently show up with, and are grateful for their consistent support. NariNauka, and WWoW, would not be what it is without Red Chilli Adventures.
Scotland: Different Country, Same Story - Mnathan Na H-Aibhne
Mnathan Na H-Aibhne [ma-ra-hen nah high-n-ya] means “Women of the River” in Gaelic.
Scotland is not a developing country, and yet many of the challenges remain familiar.
In 2001, I worked as the only female raft guide in Scotland. When Bonnie McGhee-Convery, owner of River Wild Adventures, first reached out to me about running a women’s guide school through her company, I told her how excited I was that Scotland had come far enough to have a women-owned rafting company. Her response was simple and honest: “Oh no, not much has changed. That’s why I’m reaching out to you.”
We originally scheduled a women’s guide school for May 2025, but I wasn’t surprised when Bonnie asked to reschedule for May 2026 and invited me to come venue scout and help develop the program this year instead.
As she explained it, River Wild Adventures is still new, and as a woman running a women’s program, she felt she had no margin for error. I know exactly what she meant.
As a woman in a male dominated industry, I’ve often felt that I had to work twice as hard to earn half the respect, that any mistake would be magnified simply because I was a woman.That feeling is something many female guides know all too well.
So, Bonnie and I spent nearly two weeks scouting Scotland’s best river teaching venues, planning, scheming, spreadsheeting, dreaming and building what we hope will become a women’s guide school that truly knocks it out of the park in 2026, knowing that the playing field isn’t level.
By the way, in case you missed it, Gaelic (and Scots) just became officially recognized languages of Scotland on November 30, 2025. Yes, you read that right. Gaelic just became an official language of Scotland.
Community, Festivals, and Showing Up
FIBArk whitewater festival invited WWoW to participate this year, and we were honored to be a part of it! Though I’ll be honest, we learned that standing behind a booth all day is not any of our best skill sets, and we all found it a bit challenging. But while we know our superpowers shine brightest on the water, we also recognize the importance of showing up behind the scenes.
So we’ll keep boothing, computering, administrating – because WWoW’s mission matters, and we can do hard things.
From our early days launching a non-profit, to sharing stories at film festivals, to showing up at races and river gatherings, this year has been about building connections as much as it’s been about training and certification and breaking glass ceilings. The events in our local communities weren’t just events – they were reminders that community is the backbone of everything we do.
Looking Ahead - 2026 Program Lineup
We are incredibly excited about what is on the horizon. Plans are already underway for a full and impactful 2026 season.
January 2026: Costa Rica, Las Machacas on the Pacuare River
March 2026: India, Nari Nauka III on the Ganga River
May 2026: Scotland, Mnathan Na H-Aibhne [ma-ra-hen nah high-n-ya]
Summer 2026 (dates TBD): Colorado, Women’s Swiftwater courses on the Arkansas River (More info coming soon)
Summer 2026 (dates TBD): Colorado, Women’s Overnight on Browns Canyon of the Arkansas River (More info coming soon)
November 2026: Zimbabwe and Zambia, Zambezi River Girls on the Zambezi River - Supported by Try Rafting Mplala Guest Adventure Farm. (More info coming soon)
These programs represent not just geographic reach, but a growing network of women supporting women – across cultures, rivers, and experience levels.
In addition to this year's training programs, WWoW will continue to show up for women in the whitewater community through booths at whitewater events, athlete and team sponsorships, professional development scholarships, and much more.
Deep Gratitude
As we step into our second year, we are reminded that meaningful change doesn’t happen all at once. It happens through consistency, care, and people willing to do the work – even when it’s hard, even when progress can be slow at times.
Thank you for believing in this mission. Thank you for standing beside us. And thank you for helping create space for women to show up fully – on the river and beyond.
I can’t wait to see where the current carries us next.
With Gratitude,
Elisha McArthur (RiverMamma)
Co-founder and Board President - Worldwide Women of Whitewater
