After paddling partner leaves, Winnipegger completes epic canoe trip solo

Earlier this year, former Winnipegger Jillian Brown embarked on an epic adventure, paddling and hiking across the United States — with a broken foot.

As any adventure goes, Brown was met with challenges along the way, including her paddling partner packing up and leaving her. 

But with the encouragement of her friends, family, and hundreds of people following her trip via social media, she managed to make it all the way to Baton Rouge, La. 

"So many people every single day, they would write me messages saying how inspirational, how strong I was, that they were living vicariously through me," she said.

"I didn't want to let them down."

Brown, who now lives in Squamish, B.C., embarked on her journey on April 28 from Oregon.

From there, she and a partner paddled down the Columbia River to Idaho, and then hiked over 375 miles with the canoe. Despite breaking her foot during a portage, she then paddled down the Missouri River and the Mississippi River.

Though she had planned to canoe all the way to Miami, after her canoeing partner left her in St. Louis, she decided it wouldn't be safe to canoe the Gulf of Mexico alone. She ended the solo part of her journey in Louisiana. 

Being left on her own was unexpected and unplanned, and one of the most challenging parts of her trip, she said in an interview with CBC's Nadia Kidwai on the Weekend Morning Show. 

She'd met her paddling partner only three days before they departed, after his group cancelled plans. 

"It was more so that it wasn't working. It wasn't seen as a team," she said of the split.

"It was pretty heartbreaking. But the kindness of amazing strangers along the path at that point got me through."

Brown is no stranger to epic expeditions. After escaping an abusive relationship a few years ago, she embarked on a cross-Canada road trip in an effort to heal and reconnect with nature.

During this last adventure, Brown said she thinks she learned more about other people than herself.

"That graciousness … I didn't expect people to be so generous. Just the kindness of strangers, the whole way," she said, adding that she was offered a free hotel room at least twice when she had nowhere else to go.

Now, Brown said she's planning on staying put in Winnipeg to reconnect with her family here, at least through the holiday season.