9. Paddle Hard, Save Your Life! with Andrey Coto Robles

( Donate to Jaguar Kayak School at https://gofund.me/27cccbee)
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Got $20 bucks in your pocket? Great, you’ve got enough to travel the world!

Most people that consider themselves river people have stories about how the sport has changed their lives, but few have a life story like my guest’s today.

Andrey Coto Robles, a self proclaimed son of the river, grew up in a small town playing along the banks of the Rio Sarapiqui in northern Costa Rica. Little did he know at the time that venturing down the river on an innertube would lead to a decade-long transcontinental life changing adventure that would have never happened without the unique bonds of the whitewater community.

From selling homemade jewelry in the streets of Brazil in order to eat, to finding himself in charge of a Red Bull expedition deep in the Peruvian Amazon, you’re not going to want to miss this incredible story.

0:00           Introduction
3:40           Growing up by the river
16:43        Mexico
26:30       Italy
33:10        Chile
41:20        Switzerland
42:50        Back to Mexico
46:50        Back to Italy
47:30        Brazil
54:25        Back to the river, Rio Baker
1:03:25    The long way home

The Rio Marañón film Coto referenced:  SUP Mission Amazon Red Bull Film

Follow some of Coto's adventures:
https://www.instagram.com/andrey.coto.robles/
https://exokayak.com/team/andrey-coto-robles/
https://www.kayaksession.com/exploring-new-land-ecuador-y-colombia/

Last but not least, I’m not here to promote anything, but hearing Coto’s story was a reminder to me of not only how special the community is and how life changing it can be, but also of how inaccessible it is to people that live on the banks of some of the most classic rivers in the world.  Whenever I travel to a less well off country, I’m reminded of how trivial my kayak gear concerns are compared to what most people deal with. If you have a few bucks to spare consider helping out Coto's mission by donating to Russ's go fund me page:  https://gofund.me/27cccbee

This podcast is being featured in the podcast section of paddlinglife.com.  If you haven’t already visited the site, check it out for news, stories, reviews, and just about anything related to the paddling life.

For comments, questions, or if you have a story worth sharing, pitch it to me:
talesfromthecripps@gmail.com