Last month, the Bluefin SUP team were invited to a special industry screening of a brand new adventure film, Brave Enough – A Journey Home to Joy, featuring our very own Bluefin SUP, Brand Ambassador, Jo Moseley.
Based on Jo’s incredible journey, who aged 54 was the first woman to ever paddle the 162 miles from Liverpool to Goole, along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and across the Aire & Calder Navigation, in 2019. Even more impressive, is how Jo ensured that she picked up litter along the way, raising awareness of the amount of plastic pollution in our waterways and helping to fundraise for two charities, The Wave Project and 2MinuteBeachClean Foundation, at the same time.
And let’s not forget Jason Elliott, another of our Bluefin SUP Ambassadors. From greatly assisting Jo in her challenge, Jason also features in the film. He was infact the first man to ever complete the crossing in spring 2019.
It goes without saying that all of us here at Bluefin SUP were incredibly proud to support Jo and absolutely loved the film, Brave Enough, a collaboration between Jo and filmmaker Frit Tam of Passion Fruit Pictures. It was wonderful to see Jo and her 12ft Bluefin Cruise SUP board, named Grace, embark on their adventure together.
We’ve caught up with Jo to ask her a few questions about her challenging SUP expedition, her paddleboard Grace, and how she’s feeling now Brave Enough is a feature film.
Hello Jo, how are you? Congratulations on launching Brave Enough into the world. Can you tell us more about how you and Frit met and decided to make the film?
Hello and thank you for your kind words about Brave Enough. Serendipity played a part in how Frit and I began this creative journey. After a chance meeting at the Women’s Adventure Expo in Bristol in 2018, we met again at Kendal Mountain Film Festival. Here we caught up over a cup of tea and chatted about our dreams and goals.
When I shared my dream to paddleboard coast to coast, Frit asked if she could join me to make a film about the adventure. We had one short outing on the canal on our paddleboards, and then she joined me on Day 1! You can read more about this in my blog!
We loved how in the film you referred to your paddleboard as ‘we’ as you changed from the Leeds Liverpool Canal onto the River Aire. Why have you named your board, Grace?
Grace is named after the RNLI heroine Grace Darling, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter in Northumberland, who saved many lives in 1838 when the paddlesteamer Forfarshire ran aground. We visited the beautiful Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh and I was so inspired by her courage, that I named my paddleboard after her.
‘If I have one ounce of Grace Darling’s courage,’ I told my friends, ‘then I’ll be able to do the coast to coast.’
You had all sorts of weathers and over 100 locks and 200 swing bridges on your journey, how did Grace fare with all you had to contend with?
Grace was amazing and we developed such a special bond. I was picking up litter along the way so I would often have a whole bag of litter that I would need to pull out of the water at each lock. I would then walk around and get back in. Some of the locks on the Aire + Calder are quite a lot higher than on the canal. Many time I had to clamber out and pull her along. I have to admit once or twice with being so tired that I just threw Grace back into the water!
We swooshed under swing bridges and through two tunnels, including Foulridge Tunnel which is a mile long. Even when I was paddling through thunderstorms, weed in the canal and at night, on my way home to Skipton, I always felt safe and secure on Grace. I never doubted her!
You have had some incredible reviews of Brave Enough. SUP world record holder, Cal Major, called it ‘one of the most honest and beautiful adventure films I’ve seen in a long time.’ How do you feel now Brave Enough is out in the world?
Thank you, the response to the film has been amazing and so positive. Frit and I feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of love we’ve received for Brave Enough. So many people have messaged us after each screening to say how much the film touched and encouraged them. Having 3 sell-out events already and one final screening left just feels incredible.
What are some of the key messages of Brave Enough other than, of course, the amazing joy of SUP!
Brave Enough shows how we can discover the extraordinary in the ordinary, cherish the smallest of joys and the magic of adventures on our doorstep.
It’s also about finding purpose in midlife and living by the idea that “I can’t change the world, but I can change the little bit around me”. I did so through beach cleaning, fundraising and picking up litter from my paddleboard.
A key thread within the film is that you’re never too old to dream a new dream. Or to do something wild. It’s also definitely never too late to make a difference. Paddleboarding, as we all know, is for all ages and beginners!
The film has been described as a kind, thoughtful and tender story. Our hope is that it will encourage other middle-aged women, in particular, to put their wellbeing on The Priority List. Making time for things that bring them joy, however big or small.
Brave Enough is also about realising that we don’t need to be super brave to make a dream come true. We just need to be brave enough to take the first step, and then the next, and then one more.
I’ve had women message me about buying paddleboards and having paddleboard lessons to start their own journeys. It’s truly amazing!
You also launched a podcast at Christmas! Can you tell us more?
Sure! It’s called The Joy of SUP – The Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast and it’s all about the health, happiness, adventure and possibility of SUP. I love meeting amazing paddleboarders and sharing their stories on each podcast.
We have SUP surfers, SUP yoga, SUP with a pup, world record holders and plastic pollution activists. The podcast has had a great reception so far and I’ve met many wonderful paddlers on the way. I’m looking forward to one day meeting them on the water and recording there! You can find us on Apple, Spotify and Stitcher, and all the places you listen to podcasts, or just press here to listen.
So back to Brave Enough, we understand that 3 of the screenings have completely sold out and you have a fourth and final pop up cinema evening. How can our community buy tickets for the 4th event and what happens on the night?
Yes, we’re overwhelmed that both evenings have already sold out! Our 4th date is Tuesday 16th March at 19:00, there will be a Q&A with Frit and myself, as well as some amazing prizes to be won.
Tickets are £10 for General Admission. We also have a £6 ticket for NHS staff, keyworkers and those on a low income.
The link to buy tickets is here.
You can also watch the trailer to Brave Enough here.
Thank you Jo, it was great to catch up with you and everyone at Bluefin SUP wishes you all the best with Brave Enough and your new podcast series, The Joy of SUP Podcast.
If you want to keep up with Jo, you can find her on:
Twitter: @healthyhappy50
Instagram: @healthyhappy50 and @thejoyofsuppodcast_
Facebook: TheJoyofSUPPodcast
Website www.jomoseley.com
Also, a special Bluefin SUP thank you to Frit, @fritstartingat30, for all of her wonderful pics that document Jo’s adventure over on her Instagram page.