ATHLETE PROFILE

Choosing Joy

How Marissa Dolotallas found the key ingredient to her outdoor adventures

words :: Allison Kennedy Davies

I remember the first time I met Marissa Dolotallas: She was paddleboarding along the Georgian Bay shoreline, with her trademark grin sparkling nearly as bright as the waters she was braving. Dolotallas moved to the area back in 2014 and has already made her mark as both an outdoor guide and an inspired community volunteer. Locally, she teaches paddleboarding, kayaking and yoga under the umbrella of her business, Rise and Shine Adventures. Further afield, she’s recently taken on roles with both Wild Women Expeditions and Adventure Canada. We sat down, fittingly, at the waterfront Memorial Park in Meaford (Dolotallas is the chair of the parks committee for the municipality) to discuss her recent adventures.

ML: When did your love of the outdoors begin?

MD: At an early age. Mainly from fishing with my dad— whether it was casting from a beach, on a river or from his canoe. We would dig up sea worms for bait. We took lots of family road trips and camping trips. I also loved sports growing up. From volleyball to soccer, grass hockey, badminton, track and field. We made our own Stanley Cup out of ice cream buckets wrapped in tin foil! I graduated high school as the top female athlete and that journey continues today. ML: Your love of water sports has translated into a passion and a career. When did that begin?

MD: I’ve always loved being in and on the water. It brings me a sense of peace and serenity. Again, it started with being in a boat or canoe and fishing with my dad. When I still lived in B.C., I got my own sit-on-top kayak. Later I joined a dragon boat team and became a co-captain. I learned to windsurf at Jericho Beach and that was my first time feeling an adrenaline rush on the water. While I was windsurfing in Hawaii, I saw a lone kiteboarder and knew I had to try it. I learned to surf while I was there, too. SUP entered the picture when I was living in Toronto and didn’t have a car to chase the wind for kiteboarding.

ML: Many of your guiding adventures focus on helping women explore and enjoy the outdoors. What’s so satisfying about that?

MD: I’ve met so many women through Women on the Water and they are all in different stages of their life and their careers—some widowed, some divorced, some about to retire. They are all looking to do something new. I’ve found that when they are learning to kayak or learning to SUP or canoe, it’s like a gift to themselves—to try and do something new and gain a sense of achievement—to find their power.

LEFT ALLISON KENNEDY DAVIES. RIGHT SUPPLIED BY MARISSA DOLOTALLAS.

SUPPLIED BY MARISSA DOLOTALLAS

ML: Is there something you find therapeutic about being on the water?

MD: Yes. When I teach people, they usually think they can’t stand on the board. Sometimes while we’re chatting, I stop holding on and then they realize they are doing it on their own. You remember those “aha” moments and you can apply them to other areas of your life—whether it’s having a tough conversation with a partner or talking about a raise at work. I like to give everyone a few minutes of space on the water to take a one-minute pause and dip their hand in, close their eyes and breathe.

ML: How did you end up in this region?

MD: We were living in Port Credit and Chris [Scerri] was playing a lot of music there. But when Chris sold his share of the outdoor store he owned, we were looking for another area towards the Muskoka and Huntsville area to shorten our commute to go backcountry camping. But one day a fireman who lived in Kimberley walked into our store and we talked for hours and totally hit it off. We ended up housesitting for him in Kimberley. Then we started chaperoning for the winter Pursuits program at GBCS. We explored everywhere from Wasaga to Sauble Beach looking for the right fit, but we loved the quietness of Meaford. ML: What’s on your to-do list this year?

MD: I’m doing three back-to-back Adventure Canada trips in Atlantic Canada aboard the Ocean Endeavour, and some are a collaboration with Wild Women Expeditions. Then I’ll be home to run my own retreat in Killarney. Then Chris and I will be doing trips in both the Northwest Passage and Labrador as Adventure Canada staff.

SUP entered the picture when I was living in Toronto and didn’t have a car to chase the wind for kiteboarding.

ML: Your mantra is "choose joy." Can you explain?

MD: That’s become my mantra since the first retreat I attended in Costa Rica. I’ve been embracing opportunities as they come along and it’s all led to this. From yoga to photography, videography and outdoor life, I’ve found a way to include it all in my life.

If you want to learn more about Rise and Shine Adventures visit riseandshineadventures.com and follow Marissa on Instagram: @marissa.riseandshine