CHARLOTTE, N.C. — These days, Evy Leibfarth is a world traveler, competing in canoe and kayak all over the world.
But for a few weeks a year, she’s at her home course: The Whitewater Center in Charlotte.
“It’s a really pretty place and the whitewater here is awesome,” Leibfarth said. “It just feels very calm and very normal.”
It also has its training advantages for Leibfarth, who is now a Red Bull-sponsored athlete.
“It is probably one of the bigger courses out there,” Leibfarth said. “And you really have to learn how to time your strokes and keep your boat moving. That's been really helpful as I've been training across the world.”
But home is Bryson City, N.C., and the beautiful Nantahala River, where Evy first got into a boat.
“Oh, it was really easy to do,” Jean Fogler, Evy’s mom, said, “because she was super enthusiastic about it. And it was something that she loved to do.”
Evy’s parents, Jean Fogler and Lee Leibfarth, were avid kayakers themselves.
“Evy was probably eight and she said to Lee, ‘I want to go to the Olympics,’" Fogler told WCNC Charlotte's Nick Carboni. "And Lee said ‘OK,’ and sat her down and said, ‘Here's what we need to do.’ And they did it.”
In fact, Lee is still Evy’s coach.
“Evy’s superpower is her tenacity and her willingness to not quit,” Lee said. “We go out sometimes, and we do these hard whitewater moves. And the first three times she'll flip over, or she won't get the move. And she'll just keep on going and going until she gets it and she gets it consistently.”
Now the three are in Paris where not only Lee will coach Evy, but Jean is also an International Technical Official.
For Evy, still just 20, she’s got the experience of now being a two-time Olympian.
“I didn't realize how nervous I would be before my first Olympic event,” she said. “It makes sense. It is my childhood dream to be out here racing at the highest level. I was so in my head, and this time around, I'm excited to just appreciate the journey more and just go out there and paddle how I paddle any other race.”
Of course, this isn’t just any other event. It’s the Olympics. And Leibfarth embraces that.
“Being able to go there and represent the USA with a whole team of other really inspiring athletes is just crazy,” she said. “To be a part of a group like that is my wildest dream.”
Contact Nick Carboni at ncarboni@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.