Today we’d like to introduce you to Casey Kiernan.
Casey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all started with a new hobby I picked up at the age of 15, skimboarding. With the help from some friends and a surfing background, I was able to progress quickly to start competing and at the age of 19, I turned Pro. At 20, I won my first world title for women’s professional skimboarding. Every year since I have either finished first or second place on the world tour for skimboarding. In recent years I started helping out at surf camps by teaching lessons, doing private coaching, and helping to organize and run local skimboarding contests. This year I started what I like to call, ‘Waves for Wellness Monthly Skim Clinics.’ It is a beach day where anyone at any level can come out to the beach and get FREE skimboarding lessons from me. I have teamed up with my sponsors to have new boards available for those who don’t have one or want to try another kind. I have recently started accepting donations which go to my fundraising for my journey of The Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis, which is an 80-mile endurance event using a stand-up paddleboard going from Bimini, Bahamas to Lake Worth, FL put on by Piper’s Angels Foundation. This event also serves as a huge fundraiser to help support the needs of individuals and families affected by Cystic Fibrosis.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Within my skimboarding career, I’ve had struggle to overcome mostly consisting of injuries and the road to healing. I always made sure to be diligent in my nutrition, exercise, and rehabilitation to make sure I fully recover and maintain my strength.
I’ve also experienced some barriers with the financial aspect of traveling to contests, lodging, and obtaining new boards. I overcame these barriers by continuing to progress my skill level and reach out to companies that would be willing to sponsor me, obtain those sponsorships, and be supported by their efforts to make sure I get to competitions and have top of the line equipment.
As for my monthly skimboarding clinics, I have not yet had any significant barriers, but if I do experience any, they will not hold me back from getting to share my love of skimboarding with the community!
Before all of this, I endured the hardships of losing my mom when I was 13 years old, my dad when I was 16, and my grandma when I was 21. Having to grow up through these foundational years without my parents was especially difficult, but I knew I wanted a good adult life and I had to be responsible to obtain it. So at that point, I continued to do well in school, get scholarships to cover my college education, work to save money, and start building this life I love with skimboarding and helping to guide individuals with nutrition and their health.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Other than skimboarding, I am a Registered Dietitian, currently specializing in Cystic Fibrosis, Long Term Oncology, and Sickle Cell Disease. Here, I get to provide comprehensive nutritional guidance to individuals to help make sure they maintain or improve their health status.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a bit of a shy kid, but definitely outgoing, silly, fun-loving, and adventurous. I’ve always been into a variety of sports and artistic/ musical outlets, along with being in nature and making an adventure out of each day.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: casey_lynn_kiernan
Image Credit:
Cody Kiernan, Jeff Mathis, Dan Ortman, Fabiano Badie, Brooke Hamm
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
