When Margarita Jackson isn’t managing and restoring the Avalon, CA, Post Office, she’s racing canoes.
Jackson, a member of the Catalina Island Outrigger Canoe Club, recently competed in San Diego’s Outrigger Iron Championship Race.
“I try to be an active member of the community,” said Jackson, one of Catalina Island’s 4,500 year-round residents. “Anything fun and interesting I try to get involved.”
A popular sport in Hawaii and California, outrigger canoe races involve six people paddling in the open ocean for various distances.
“Every one of us plays an active role to propel a 400-pound boat forward,” Jackson said.
The club practices four evenings a week to perfect technique, form and speed.
For Jackson, it’s an activity that fosters community camaraderie.
“We’re very tight-knit, we all know each other, we all love the island so much,” she said. “There’s an integrity there to form a team and do something representing Catalina Island.”
Her Postal Service background has helped in and out of the water, too.
“As a Postmaster, I have a tendency to lead and motivate, to help promote and work toward a goal,” Jackson said. “All of those skills that I do with my staff, [I’m] sharing that with canoe racing.”
