HAPPY PEOPLE

By Christina Malango  
HAP Reporter, Part-Time Mermaid   
 
Meet Robin Donovan, free diver, spearfisher, and Puget Sound gunkholer.  Yes gunkholder.
When did you discover the River Huggers and how?
River Huggers was one of the first things I did with people after I moved to Portland nearly six years ago now. I was trying really hard to meet people, and my strategy was to just keep showing up to things I enjoyed, over and over, and trying to say hello to ...

By Christina Malango  
HAP Reporter, Part-Time Mermaid
  
Meet Amanda Cross, a River Hugger with Boundary Waters and beyond in mind for the future.
 
How long have you been swimming with the River Huggers and how did you find the group?
Gretchan Jackson and our friend Elaine told me they were going to swim across the Willamette on the opening day of the River Hugger season in 2015, and I think they felt compelled to invite me along when I got so excited ...

by Christina Malango
 
 
Meet Andrea Stolowitz, a River Hugger swimmer and prize-winning playwright who is diving into writing an opera.
 
How long have you been swimming with the River Huggers and how did you discover the group? 
This summer will be my third summer and I found them on the Internet, of all places.
 
What is your swimming background?
I was a competitive swimmer as a youngster and the captain of my high school team. I was not the best swimmer ...

Meet Peter Rock, member of the HAP River Hugger Swim Group, a writing instructor at Reed College, and author of a whopping 10 books including the recent release, “The Night Swimmers”. 
 
How and when did you find the River Huggers?
Well, I’ve been swimming in the Willamette for 7-8 years, and have swum (as a relay!) the Bridge Swim a couple times. I’m always looking for people to swim with in the river. I was also preparing to do a longer swim in ...

By Christina Malango 
 
Meet River Hugger swimmer and safety paddler, Jim Leissler, who has actually thought about what to do if a seal wants to fight him while swimming. 
 
How long have you been swimming with the River Huggers and how did you find the group?
Three years. Even though I live a block away from Popina, I didn't meet Willie until introduced thru a mutual friend, Sky Boyer, who founded VeloCult. He invited me for a beer at his shop and I brought my whole family. ...

By Christina Malango
 
How did you connect with Willie and the River Huggers?
I was working for eNRG Kayaking at the time and looking for whatever additional work I could find when Willie reached out to the owner of the company, Sam Drevo. Sam proceeded to offer the safety kayaking gig to his staff and I jumped at the opportunity.
How long have you been kayaking? What about guiding? 
I've been kayaking for a little over 15 years now with guiding experience in SUP, ...

By Christina Malango
 
How long have you been a board member for Human Access Project?
I’ve been a friend of the Willie, and his wife since they opened their first Popina store on 42nd, but have been a member of the Human Access Project board for
about 3 years now.
 
What does being a HAP board member involve?
 
There are many roles involved with being a board member. Collectively, we oversee and manage all things related to our mission, of getting toes ...

Meet swimmer Margo McKirdy,
who often thinks she is in a cosmic washing machine.
 
Have you always been a swimmer?  How did you find out about the River Huggers?  
I learned to swim at an early age and was lucky enough to live on property in Grass Valley, California with both a small in-ground swimming pool and a 5-acre pond/lake. I was unaware of the entire world/sport/religion of open water swimming until about five years ago. I heard mention of the Portland ...