Meet Jamaican Sea Kayaker Chevaughn Dixon
Photo credit: Lynda Shenkman
“When you’re a rasta, it’s positive vibes only. That’s where I am.”
Within the first few seconds of my conversation with Jamaican sea kayaker Chevaughn “Chev” Dixon, it was apparent that this statement was true. Positivity and good energy radiated from his voice. An accomplished kayaker and a driven humanitarian, Chev’s kayaking journey began in Yonkers, NYC. He stood looking out over the Hudson River one day, curious about the water and the kayakers gliding over its surface. One of the kayakers asked if he wanted to give it a try, and he said yes.
Over a decade later, Chevaughn is still out there paddling and undertaking some big challenges. Now the Director of the non-profit Hudson River Riders, Chev aims to increase access to paddlesports and other outdoor activities to underserved communities, “one paddle, one walk, one run, one meditation at a time.”
From a young age, Chev was able to see and understand the disparities in how marginalized groups were treated in comparison to their white counterparts, specifically in kayaking and paddlesports, which were and still are lacking diversity. Many outdoor activities and sports have excluded BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), but Chev is working to change that. Hudson River Riders offers free kayaking and paddleboarding experiences for anyone in the community. They have recently expanded their programming to offer hiking and running events, with the goal of getting more at-risk youth to reap the benefits of nature.
As Chevaughn stated, “Everyone is welcome to paddlesports and the outdoors. Nature does not discriminate, the trees don't discriminate, the animals don’t discriminate, or if they do it's within the laws of the earth.” This is an important sentiment for everyone to consider and remember while enjoying outdoor spaces.
What is there to gain from kayaking or being on the water? For Chev, “It's peace of mind. I feel love when I'm there. I feel this divine connection to the earth, to the water. It calms me down because I've got a lot of fire inside of me.” I think a lot of us can relate to that feeling of peace and mindfulness while in nature and understand what a gift it can be. Through his work with Hudson River Riders, Chev is looking to bring that feeling to many who wouldn’t otherwise get to experience that.
As Chev continues to grow his non-profit, he also continues to grow as an athlete. In September 2021, he completed phase one of the Hudson Valley Challenge, a 326-mile exploration of the Hudson Valley Estuary. The challenge incorporates running, hiking, cycling, kayaking, and paddleboarding. He will be the first ever person to complete this challenge using the methods previously listed. In September, Chev ran and hiked the length of the Old Croton Aqueduct. He will complete the last 300 miles of the challenge over the week of May 7-15, 2022, and is inviting the community to join him on some of the hiking, running, and kayaking portions.
Check out Chev’s Instagram for more information on the Hudson Valley Challenge and to stay up to date with his latest adventures. Be sure to visit the Hudson River Riders Website to learn more about their programs or to donate.
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