A few months ago, Kelly Garrett accepted an extraordinary challenge to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that impacts the lungs, pancreas and other vital organs. As a community partnership specialist at Empath Health, a nonprofit dedicated to providing hospice and home-based care, Garrett—who lives in Venice—has always thrived on tough challenges. But this time, her drive was deeply personal, shaped by the loss of her mother in hospice care.

Garrett planned to paddle an impressive 125 kilometers across open water—from Bimini, Bahamas, to Lake Worth, Florida—to highlight the struggles of those living with cystic fibrosis. The paddle was scheduled to launch at midnight in Bimini and expected to end 18 hours later on the Florida coast. The inspiration for the paddle came after Garrett met Jennifer McGaw at Agility Physical Fitness and Physical Therapy. McGaw shared her involvement with Piper’s Angels, a foundation supporting people living with cystic fibrosis. “As Jennifer described the 80-mile paddleboard race from Bimini to Lake Worth, I became more and more intrigued,” says Garrett. “In my free time, I love to paddleboard, and I’m always drawn to challenges—especially when they seem impossible. When I first agreed to take this on, it was about the paddleboarding experience and pushing myself. But as I got more immersed, it became about supporting cystic fibrosis. It turned into something so much bigger than me.”

To help cover their $2,000 per-paddler fundraising required goal, Garrett and McGaw rallied their community through grassroots efforts—from line dancing nights to a cornhole tournament. Pop’s Sunset Grill even created a signature drink, the Blue Bimini, with proceeds benefiting their cause. “The community has been amazing,” says Garrett. “They show up, they show out—and the support has been overwhelming.” Training for the race was grueling, involving weightlifting, punching-bag drills and rollerblading (Garrett had recently completed a 24-hour skating marathon). But no amount of preparation could have prepared her for what came next.

“Nothing went as planned,” Garrett recalls. In the final weeks before the race, she ruptured a tendon in her foot and spent 2.5 months in a medical boot. “I was told I shouldn’t do the paddle event,” she says. “I only began physical therapy and conditioning in the last few weeks—and I knew I’d have to paddle on my knees.”

The challenges continued to pile up. Just before departing from the Florida coast, the team's boat broke down at the ramp. Their captains made temporary repairs, but once they reached Bimini, they faced a difficult decision. Due to rough seas and concerns over the boat’s condition, their crew left the island the day before the paddle. Meanwhile, their support crew member faced flight delays from California, arriving just hours before launch. Without their original boat or practice time with a new crew, Garrett and her partner had to join a different captain’s boat, one they had never worked with. “The weather was unpredictable, storms surrounded us and the seas were choppy—five-foot swells made it almost impossible to paddle.”

Still, they pushed forward.

At midnight on Sunday, June 22, the pair launched from Bimini into darkness. “Paddling felt like being in a fight with the ocean,” Garrett says. Despite the chaos, beauty surrounded them—bioluminescent water lit up their paddles, shooting stars streaked overhead and the Milky Way guided their way. “There was no moon. The darkness made it hard to tell where the ocean ended and the sky began.” When the sun rose, rays split the clouds and a rainbow appeared—an emotional moment. But the seas remained volatile. “The storms forced our captain to pull us from the water a few times for safety. It was intense.”

Eventually, around 12:30pm on Sunday, June 22, they arrived in Lake Worth. “We paddled in with cowbells ringing. Hand in hand with McGaw, we went to run across the finish line—and my foot was reinjured. We walked slowly, picked up our hammers and hit the finish bell. They handed us champagne and a flag that read ‘We paddled from the Bahamas to Florida.’”

Medals were placed around their necks as they stood on the podium. Then, Garrett turned to McGaw: “I looked at her and thanked her for allowing me to have this experience with her. We both cried, hugged and told each other how proud we were. We had completed something that seemed impossible.”

Garrett’s mantra through the whole experience was, “I can do hard things, and so can you!” Despite injury, mechanical failures, last-minute changes and dangerous seas, Garrett and McGaw not only completed the paddle—they made a lasting impact. Their successful endeavor was a true testament to resilience, friendship and the power of community.