From Gig Harbor to Italy: WAVA Student “Roo” Qualifies for ICF SUP World Championships

At Washington Virtual Academies (WAVA), students pursue passions that extend far beyond the classroom. For 17-year-old Christiana “Roo” of Gig Harbor, that passion is stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) racing, and it’s taking her all the way to Italy. 

Roo recently earned the opportunity to represent the United States at the ICF Stand Up Paddling World Championships in Sabaudia, Italy, October 14–18. The opportunity follows an impressive performance at the USA SUP National Championships in her hometown of Gig Harbor, where she earned four medals. 

Christiana “Roo” celebrates a first-place finish at the 2026 USA SUP National Championships in Gig Harbor, Washington. Photo courtesy of Staci Witt. 

Competing in the female junior U18 division, Roo won three events: the 10K, sprint, and technical races. Her performance also earned her a fourth medal as the overall female junior national champion. 

“I’ve never been out of the country other than a quick trip to Canada, so it’s kind of overwhelming, but in a good way,” Roo said. “It’s going to be a great learning experience for me. I might not be the best, but I’m going to give it my best.” 

Finding Her Sport 

Roo’s journey into competitive stand-up paddleboarding began after an injury changed the direction of her athletic career. 

She had been competing in sprint canoe racing with the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team and had qualified for nationals several times. But after a skiing injury made it difficult for her to kneel in her sprint canoe, Roo began bringing an inflatable paddleboard to practice so she could continue training with her team. 

Still wearing a knee brace, Roo competed on the inflatable board in the Paddler’s Cup, a human-powered watercraft competition in Gig Harbor. She took the podium in the 10K as the event’s only junior SUP competitor. 

Dallas Edge of Lee’s SUP & Kayak Rentals in Gig Harbor encouraged Roo to upgrade to a SUP racing board and train with professional SUP athlete and world champion Fiona Wylde in Hood River, Oregon. Eager to learn more, Roo and her mom reached out to Wylde and traveled to Hood River for training. Soon after, they found Roo’s first racing board on Facebook Marketplace. 

At 13, Roo competed in the Narrows Challenge 10K, becoming the youngest paddler to finish the race on a stand-up paddleboard. What began as a way to keep training after an injury quickly became the sport she wanted to pursue competitively. 

Roo executes a technical turn on the tail of her board. Photo courtesy of Kira Truebenbach. 

As she became more serious about racing, Roo traveled more frequently to Hood River, Oregon, to train with experienced paddlers and develop her skills. There, she met mentor and downwind instructor Joel Yang, former owner of Stoke on the Water, and developed a love for long-distance down winding on the Columbia River. 

Those hours on the water helped prepare Roo for her next challenge: competing on the international stage. 

Finding Flexibility With WAVA 

Balancing school with the demands of training, travel, and competition can be challenging. Roo says attending Washington Virtual Academies (WAVA) has given her the flexibility to pursue her athletic goals while continuing to make progress academically. 

“WAVA has been a godsend for me over the last two years,” Roo said. “The flexibility of my schedule is so important to racing. I wouldn’t be able to practice as much without WAVA. It’s really helped me excel.” 

That flexibility became especially important after Roo was involved in an accident last August that disrupted her schooling. She credits WAVA with helping her stay on track academically. 

Now, WAVA is also helping Roo prepare for what comes next. She is earning college credits at Pierce College while completing her WAVA coursework and hopes to eventually pursue a career in mechanical engineering. 

“Roo’s WAVA counselor and homeroom teacher have been invaluable in supporting her academic success,” said Roo’s mom, Kira.  

“I’ve always known I wanted a career in mechanical engineering,” Roo said. “I love building things and creating new ideas.” 

Roo’s creativity doesn’t stop there. When she isn’t studying or training on the water, she sings at open mics, draws and paints, enjoys robotics, and even runs her own henna business, RooHenna.  

Rallying Around Roo 

With only a few weeks between qualifying and the World Championships, Roo and her family faced another challenge: preparing for an international competition on an extremely tight timeline. 

The family launched a GoFundMe to help offset expenses, including airfare, accommodations, competition fees, and transporting Roo’s racing equipment to Italy. The response from the community has been a source of encouragement as she prepares to leave Oct. 9. 

“Pretty much everyone is celebrating with me and telling me to go represent the USA,” Roo said. “The support from the community has been unreal.” 

For Roo, the upcoming trip is about more than where she finishes. It’s an opportunity to learn, compete alongside some of the world’s best paddlers, and take another step toward her goals. 

No matter what happens in Italy, she plans to give it everything she has. 

Congratulations, Roo! We’re proud to see a WAVA student taking her talents from the waters of Gig Harbor to the world stage.

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