MEET OUR VOLUNTEER Team

Eric has been a paddler for many years. First as a canoeist, but upon finding that kayaks are more durable for the water he likes to swim in, he took a 5 hours crash course at the Gull in 2016. He quickly got an unreliable roll and has been finding new ways to wreck his kayak ever since. For those that don’t know, after 7 roll attempts he does tend to look for a t-rescue.  Parts of his sanity (and paint from various boats) pepper the continent but his new plastic love has only seen the Ottawa, Mississauga, Gull, Grand, and lock 28 on the Trent-Severn. With a knack for bringing pretty good food to our potlucks, he looks forward to being as friendly and welcoming to new members, as he has been fortunate to have experienced.

Do Yeon Lee (AKA Do) joined our board as member at large in 2023.  In 2024 he took on the Membership director position, then the Events Director position in 2025.  Do Yeon is making another switch for the 2026 season and now has transitioned into the role of Finance Director.  If he stays on for a few more years, he can try all the other positions!  

Do Yeon started his whitewater journey on the Ottawa River in 2017, perfectly nailing McCoys on his first attempt, comfortably sitting on a raft guided by a professional (on his first attempt in a kayak, he went into right side Phil's). When he saw the kayakers on the Ottawa River, he knew he had to give that a try. He took a weekend course at MKC in 2020 and he was hooked. The following year, he was welcomed into the community and supported by the wonderful members of KWP. As a board member, he hopes to extend the support he received to more paddlers, keeping the club a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. Do Yeon is most often seen rolling up after being flipped by Horseshoe Falls at the Minden Whitewater Preserve and rolling into campsite after midnight at OWL on Ottawa River club trips. When there's ice on the rivers, he enjoys going on diving trips, cross country skiing, and swimming the Nottawasaga River

Hi,

My name is Milton Bermeo.  I am your 2026 Events Coordinator.  This will be the second time that I serve as events coordinator on the KWP Board.  I hope to inspire as many of you as I can to attend the numerous trips our club organizes every year.  I'll see you on the river soon.

Chris joined KWP in 2019.  This is his 4th year on the KWP board, transitioning from membership director in 2022 to Social Media and IT director in 2023.   Chris designed and manages this new website.....so all the tech issues are his fault!.   When not crushing code, he spends most of his time at the Minden White Water Preserve.  He has paddled flat water for many years and has worked in the outdoor adventure industry off and on since 2003. In 2015 he took a job managing a little outdoor shop in Minden. They specialized in whitewater gear sales and lessons, which were done at the Minden White Water Preserve, just a paddle stroke from the store. By chance, the PanAm games happened to be held in Minden that same year and Chris instantly became obsessed with learning to paddle whitewater. He set upon teaching himself to kayak by watching endless YouTube instructionals and practicing obsessively. In 2016 he achieved his L2/I2 instructors certification and received a swift water rescue technician certificate in 2023.   When he’s not crying for his mommy while getting an unplanned, yet epic surf in left-side Horseshoe (Ottawa), Chris enjoys wilderness survival, wild edibles, hiking, X-country skiing, wild ice skating adventures and really anything to get away from this soul sucking screen! For the record, he makes the best spicy pickled wild leeks.

Rachel has been adventuring in the Kawartha and Haliburton Highlands for many years, though is relatively new to whitewater kayaking, having taken it up to accompany her son, Gabriel.  Following a fabulous clinic at Paddler Coop in 2022, she dipped her kayak in the washout at The Preserve and has been there ever since. 

While new to whitewater kayaking, Rachel is not new to boards or communications.  She has served on several charitable and not-for-profit boards over the last 20 years.  Her board work is rooted in a passion for community building, communication and collaboration.

Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ottawa and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Toronto.

She is excited to support the efforts and activities of the Kawartha Whitewater Paddlers and looks forward to helping to broaden the reach of the club.

Lee joined KWP after moving from Calgary to Gatineau in 2021. They were searching for friends to show them the rivers in the Ottawa area and KWP was recommended to them as one of the clubs to join. This will be Lee's first year on the BOD. 

Lee was introduced to whitewater while on multi-day canoe expeditions in their teens. They fell in love with kayaking while in Calgary, paddling on the Kananaskis river, the Red Deer, and the Crowsnest.

Since arriving in the Ottawa area, Lee has enjoyed getting to know the Madawaska river, the Ottawa, the Petawawa, the Rouge, the Beaver and the Kipawa. 

Off the river, Lee loves cooking, dancing, napping in a hammock, cycling, and cross-country skiing.

After failing to convince anyone else to try whitewater kayaking, Rachel joined KWP in 2021, where she’s made many friends and found great people to paddle with throughout the year. 

If she’s not getting beat down in left side Phil’s or Vampire, Rachel enjoys paddling the Ottawa anytime of the year. Her favorite once a year river is the Gatineau during Gat Fest. Also, Lower Black and Eels creek are her #1 choices in the spring. Rachel is working on surfing after getting a playboat, and her big 2025 win was making it down Whitehorse at the Gull without flipping at the bottom! 

This is Rachel’s first year on the KWP board of directors, and she is looking forward to being the 2026 membership director!