Jeremy Lurgio

River Queens: Highlight My Strengths

Jeremy Lurgio

At 76-years old, former New Zealand national coach and paddler Howard Hyland returns to his roots to start a competitive waka ama club for youth on the Whanganui River – the first river in the world to be granted legal personhood. Hyland’s connection to the river is deep. His Maori tribe have a philosophy, “Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au.” (I am the river, the river is me.) The film, “River Queens,” follows Hyland and his fledgling team from their three-week training camp to the national sprint championships, documenting the story of their relationships to each other, the sport and the river that provides them a unique training ground. In the process, they learn as much about paddling, as they do life.