Local paddleboarder Cat Kelly joined a team of paddlers called Team Reco to complete an 82-mile journey from the Bahamas to Lake Worth Pier, raising money for Piper’s Angels Foundation to support cystic fibrosis research. The foundation provides scholarships and grants to help individuals and families with cystic fibrosis pay for medical bills and medications.

The Journey

Kelly and her team began their trek on Friday night, paddling into Saturday around midnight, and arrived at Lake Worth Pier by 4 p.m. They rotated paddlers every 20 minutes to maintain high speed and had a support boat with food, hydration, and emergency assistance.

During the journey, Kelly and her team encountered a U.S. Navy submarine, which initially confused her but later honored the paddlers with a congratulatory message. Kelly has raised over $7,000 individually, while her team has collectively raised over $43,000.

Kelly plans to participate again next year, inspired by the challenges faced by those living with cystic fibrosis. She said, ‘Last year, we had really tough seas and not a lot of people made it across, and those are the same challenges that people with cystic fibrosis face every day. They don’t know what’s going to happen that day, so us being able to face, whether it’s fears or challenges or weather, and just knowing that ‘hey, we’re doing this for them,’ and if they have challenges, we do too.’

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.