Imagine riding a wave on a pristine lake with the sun shining in the distance and beautiful trees zipping by you. Twelve-year-old Sydney doesn’t have to imagine it. It’s a scene she’s all too familiar with as an avid wakeboarder.
Since she started wakeboarding several months ago, it’s become more than just a hobby. It’s a passion. The sport, Sydney says, suits her adventurous spirit.
“I’m not one to play on team sports like soccer or basketball. I am very much a dare devil, so it was just kind of my nature to like it and enjoy it,” Sydney says.
Sydney is fortunate enough to live near the beautiful Lake Jackson in Prince William County, Va. – just 40 minutes outside of Washington, D.C. – with her moms, Renee and Katherine, and younger brother, Gibson.
The 7th grader picked up the water sport after being introduced to it by some local friends who used to compete professionally in wakeboarding.
“They were out one day on the lake and asked if I wanted to try it. I tried it and absolutely fell in love with it. I’m so happy that I found something I really like,” Sydney says.
So what is wakeboarding? It’s like snowboarding, but on water, and uses what is known as a wakeboard. The rider is usually towed behind a motorboat at pretty fast speeds.
“But when you crash it doesn’t hurt that much [as much as snowboarding],” notes Sydney.
Wakeboarding isn’t offered at her school, Stonewall Middle School. Luckily, in addition to their international baccalaureate program, they do offer chorus, which allows Sydney to practice her other love – singing.
“I like singing because it’s expressing emotions through words. It’s connected talking with rhythm,” Sydney explains.
She likes songs by folk rock singer-songwriters, and is particularly fond of Brandi Carlile.
“I really like songs that have been taken from really popular artists, and then less-famous pop artists have done twists on them,” Sydney says.
But don’t describe Sydney just as a singer or wakeboarder. At heart, she’s truly a “nature enthusiast.”
When she’s not on the water, she aches to be outside playing among the trees.
It can be summed up with three words, Sydney says: “Camping is life.”
“I love being outside. I camp as much as I can with my family. It’s just fun to get away from the noise and the bad air,” she says.
One of her favorite places to camp is Shenandoah National Park. North Carolina is also another favorite camping destination for her and her family.
Sydney savors every aspect of camping – whether it’s the ability to disconnect a little, or the joys of sleeping in a tent among the trees with her family.
“I love the fact that I’m not waking up in a four-walled room; that I get to wake up in a tent with zippers to hushed whispers in the morning and the smell of smoke,” she says passionately.
That’s why she really cherishes family vacations, which they do several times a year. [k_1412_p_Sydney2.jpg, caption: Sydney with her moms, Renee and Katherine, and her brother, Gibson.]
“We go on a lot of educational trips, and usually we do activities related to nature,” she notes.
This year, the family got on a plane and flew to the Bahamas.
“We did a lot of snorkeling, and did research on the type of local fish and the local food. It’s fun when you’re taken out of school for learning and you actually enjoy it,” Sydney says, adding that the vacation was extra special because it was on her birthday.
It’s those vacations and camping trips that Sydney lives for and what keeps her motivated throughout the year.
However, what she’s most looking forward to now is seeing her two moms get married. That’s something they’ll get to do soon in Virginia, after a recent move by the Supreme Court cleared the way for marriages by same-sex couples.
“I was just elated when I heard about it. I ran to school and told everyone about it. I’m glad because my parents have been waiting for this for a while, so now they’re getting married soon and that’s so exciting,” Sydney says.
