Venezuelan Maria de los Angeles Ferrer achieved a milestone by crossing Lake Maracaibo by paddle surfing

• In the absence of a known precedent, her journey marks a record that she hopes to surpass next year | Photo: EFE / Henry Chirinos

Venezuelan Maria de los Angeles Ferrer, 34 years old, set a new record in Venezuela on June 14 by crossing the Lake MaracaiboZulia state, doing paddle surfing.

The journey was approximately 18 kilometers long. The athlete left from the southern bay in the municipality of San Francisco, reached Aves Island, and then returned to the starting point.

“I always wanted to do something that I might be the first to do, something different, something unique,” Ferrer said in an interview with the EFE news agency.

The athlete, a mother of two children, said she spent five months preparing to take on the challenge of crossing Lake Maracaibo on a paddle surf board.

What is stand up paddleboarding?

Stand-up paddleboarding, also known as paddle surfing, is a water sport that involves standing on a larger and more stable surfboard than traditional ones. The athlete stands in this position and uses a single-bladed paddle to propel themselves and navigate through the water. It can be practiced in the sea, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools.

Ferrer’s trip lasted regarding five hours, traveling back and forth between the coasts of Maracaibo and the Eastern Coast of the Lake.

Photo: EFE/ Henry Chirinos

“It’s regarding showing that mothers have abilities beyond staying at home, simply taking care of the children, but also being high-performance athletes,” said the Venezuelan athlete.

Challenges of the Venezuelan

Ferrer, in addition to being an athlete through her dedication to water sports and a mother, works in a dry cleaner’s and teaches dance classes.

The Venezuelan acknowledged, upon completing the journey on the board, that the first leg was more complicated, since she had to row once morest the current.

However, on the way back Ferrer felt that everything flowed faster even though his hands were tired.

She added that, in the absence of a known precedent, her journey marks a record that she hopes to surpass next year.

Photo: EFE/ Henry Chirinos

Before that, the Venezuelan will try to complete other quests with stand-up paddleboarding on the same lake, while preparing for other international competitions.

Recognition from the Government of Zulia

The Sports Secretariat of the Zulia State Government indicated through her social media accounts that Ferrer is the first to accomplish the feat in paddleboard on Lake Maracaibo.

According to the information, the activity was initially scheduled to take place on July 5, however, due to weather conditions it was finally rescheduled for July 14.

The departure was at 6:00 am and five hours later Ferrer arrived back at Kapui South Bay in San Francisco.

“This event marks a milestone in the history of water sports in Venezuela, with the participation of the first woman to paddle across the lake,” said the Zulian entity.

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