Bernadette Foote on Training, the Catalina Classic, and Ocean of Hope

The Catalina Classic is a grueling 32-mile paddle from Catalina Island to the Manhattan Beach Pier. With a storied 40-year history, legendary competitors have completed the crossing. Now, you may be asking yourself: Why all the details around this prestigious South Bay paddling race? Well, this matters because 20-year-old Bernadette Foote accepted and completed this challenge last year.  Two words: Bad ass.  

Bernadette is a prone paddler who hails from Catalina Island and now resides Ventura County. Bernadette attends CSU Channel Islands with the intent of obtaining a business degree and is also a member of the CSUCI Surf Club and the Ocean of Hope paddle team.

Bernadette's long-distance paddling requires intense training, discipline and toughness. We sat down with Bernadette to learn more about what it takes, both physically and mentally.

Bernadette at the finish line of the 2016 Catalina Classic. 

When did you start paddling?

I got my first board from Joe Bark when I was about twelve years old. He told me to run with it and I haven’t really stopped. Growing up on Catalina Island, the ocean was always in our backyard and so paddling just became a new way to explore.

What inspired you to participate in the Catalina Classic?

Growing up at the Isthmus of Catalina, I’ve seen the race start every year for the past ten years. Getting a board from Joe was the extra push I needed to get involved with the paddling community. We always had paddlers staying at our house the nights prior to the race and I think seeing how excited and nervous they were the days and nights leading up to the race started to burn a fire inside me to one day complete the race. I started out small and did local races that were under ten miles, and continued to build off that. I raced in the 22-mile Rock 2 Rock solo when I was fifteen. That’s when doing the Classic really became a realistic idea. It was something I had become fascinated with at a young age, so being able to compete and finish the event was a dream that finally became an epic reality this past August.

What training did you do to prepare for the race?

For me personally, when I train for something I like to train in the specific sport. So for the Classic, I stuck to mostly paddling. To gain extra strength, I did ocean swims, used a rowing machine, and worked out with the local lifeguards to get into better shape. Paddling the channel isn’t necessarily about how fast you can go, but how long. To build my endurance, I turned to running and circuit training, all on top my paddling routines.

What was an average week of training like?

Once I moved back to the island from school, I was non-stop. On an average week, I’d paddle around 40 to 50 miles, and try to run about 10 miles. I also did some longer paddles, usually about 25-28 miles long around once a month. I would break down the days of the week and plan out paddles along the coast of the island, as well as get friends with boats to drop me offshore so I could get work in the rougher water. Swimming was also something I also did on days that I worked a lot and couldn’t squeeze in a solid paddle. My biggest advice for paddling is that you should train and paddle in all types of water conditions because you never know what race day is going to be like. You want to get used to your board in crummy water, so that if you projected downwinder paddle isn’t one, you’ll still be able to put in a solid effort.

Example circuit:
Run 400 yards
Swim 500 yards
Paddle 1 mile
Repeat x4

Obviously, paddling the Catalina Classic requires not only physical strength, but mental strength as well. When it all feels like too much, what motivates you to keep going? 

Shortly after I started paddling, I joined the Ocean of Hope Campaign. This is a charity run by a bunch of ocean athletes, all raising money for the Sarcoma Alliance. My grandpa passed away from cancer when I was a kid, so it’s a rad way to be able to give back and help out, especially when I have had to go through the wrath of cancer personally. It’s been an awesome experience to do something greater than just paddling for myself. I’ve been working with Ocean of Hope for the past six years and plan on it for many more years to come. As cliche as it sounds, being in the middle of the channel is kind of gnarly and can play games with your head. Having something extra like that to focus on and paddle for helps you pull through.

Donations for Ocean of Hope can be made HERE. You can follow all of Bernadette's adventures and training on Instagram, @bernadette_foote.