Interview NAINA ADHIKARI

A Paddler of the Year finalist, short film award winner, and one of India's most-traveled kayakers, Naina Adhikari has already built an impressive paddling journey at a young age. From discovering kayaking in Rishikesh to paddling in Chile on an all-girls trip, running the Zambezi with Benny Marr, and representing India in ICF competitions across the world, she is redefining what it means to be a female paddler in a male-dominated country. Stubborn and bold, Naina’s journey has been full of remarkable surprises and opportunities, each born from her experience—and probably good karma—along the way. Ganga Girls, her latest initiative to promote kayaking for underprivileged girls in India, proves that she's far from done with kayaking.

Lucien Schreiber

Kayak Session: Many people discovered your name this past December when you got shortlisted as a finalist for the Kayak Session Paddler’s Awards. Tell us more about yourself, Naina. Naina Adhikari: I am a 24-year-old paddler from India. I come from Nainital, a small hill station in the state of Uttarakhand in North India, in the Himalayas. I'm proud to bear the name Naina, meaning “eyes,” inspired by the goddess Naina Devi. Coincidentally, my hometown’s name, Nainital, echoes a similar theme with “Naini” signifying “eyes” and “Tal” meaning “lake. ” KS: You are now paddling almost full-time, but what were you doing before? NA: I finished intermediate school (which follows high school in India), specializing in science with maths as my major. After school, I took a year off to…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2025

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