Last year, the kayaking community lost one of its up-and-comers in a tragic accident just days before the annual Great Falls Race. While practicing for the race, South Carolina native Shannon Christy lost her life in the Potomac River. The race was cancelled, a memorial was held in her honor, and the kayaking community mourned the loss of one of their own.
One year later, Bethesda Magazine has written an in-depth article about the events of the day. It’s hard to read – it was a tragedy, and people risked their lives to retrieve Shannon’s body from the river. The article includes interviews from numerous people; Will Seeber, who was kayaking with Shannon, Steve Fischer, an internationally known kayaker and filmmaker, friend of MLP Jason Beakes, who is also the director of the Great Falls Race, and Mark, who had met Shannon the evening before her accident, and created a memorial video in her honor.
Mark Leisher Productions has always been proud of our association with the paddling community. We were incredibly moved by the international response to last year’s tragedy. This year, paddlers again gathered to run the Falls in a race that has taken place since 1988. Pat Keller of Asheville North Carolina won the long boat race for the third time, finishing at 57.9 seconds and Mike Dawson of New Zealand won the short boat race, finishing at 65.1 seconds.
You can read the full Bethesda Magazine article online here, and view images and videos of the 2014 Great Falls Race here. You can watch our memorial video for Shannon below.