SWM: Though SUP is now your passion, you’ve always loved the water and grew up windsurfing, is that right?
IU: I started windsurfing when I was 10. Even as a kid, I knew I wanted to turn it into a job. After I earned my license to teach from the federation, I was able to work for different sailing schools while continuing to study.
SWM: How did you find your way to a sup board?
IU: I had moved to the West Indies to be able to surf and sail all year long. But then I met my future husband. I was very young and naive, and instead of marrying a fairytale prince, I ended up trapped by a narcissistic pervert. I had locked myself in a pretty tough situation, and things happened really fast: a wedding, a child … and then the trouble really started for me. He kept me from doing the things I liked; I was rarely allowed to get out—I needed a really good reason to leave, whether running errands or taking a child to school. Add domestic violence in the mix, and you’ll have an idea of the situation I was in. My husband would check my every move. There was no possibility of sports or fun because he was so jealous and angry. At the time, we were living on a barge. One day, I saw two guys paddling on SUPs next to the barge. I envied them because they were on the water and were having fun. But they inspired me, too.
"I TOLD MYSELF THAT THE DAY I MANAGED TO ESCAPE FROM THAT
LIFE, I WOULD PADDLE SUP TOO."
SWM: What about it did you find so attractive?
IU: I did not have any perspective on the world and could not escape my life or situation. I was stuck with an abusive husband and two kids to
