E59: Sean Lougheed - 2026 Yukon River Quest Solo Canoe Champion

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down again with Sean Lougheed, but this time as a solo guest. Sean is a Canadian ultramarathon paddler and Yukon 1000 alum who just took 1st place in the solo canoe division of the 2026 Yukon River Quest and came in just 11 minutes off of record time. We cover so much in this episode from the fire that the Yukon 1000 lights within, longevity in ultra paddling, positive impacts paddling communities can support, risk versus safety equations, flexibility and recovery, heat and hallucinations, the importance of safety checks, reflections on the Yukon Flats, and brainstorming ways to deepen the dot watching experience in ultra racing. And if you’re enjoying the show please share it, follow it, or visit dabblinginpaddleism.com to find archives, what’s “coming soon”, guest book recommendations, and ways to support the show through merch, memberships, and more. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Sean himself on this 59th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Sean's YRQ Trip Report: https://slougheed.substack.com/p/2026-yukon-river-quest Sean’s book recommendations: -Love Big Country, by Mark Fletcher -Reading the River, by John Hildebrand