ALEXANDROS PANAGAKOS
Personal Experience
Sea Kayak Paros was created in 2014 after several years of summer professional activity on Paros, the island where I live most of the year with my partner Keren and our two young children. Since I was a child, born of a Greek father and Belgian mother, I kept a deep interest and love for nature and because of that I decided to follow studies in natural sciences. I started with a degree in fisheries and the aquatic environment and continued with a MSc in Ecology and Conservation at Uppsala University, in Sweden. I worked on ecological projects in Sweden, Greece, Russia-Siberia, Australia, New Zealand and with such trips realized my youth’s dreams.
I practice activities such as rock climbing, snowboarding, and of course sea kayaking. I enjoy getting educated about as many of these as I can and through that I improve my skills and gain the knowledge and experience to introduce and train other people to them. I’m a British Canoeing Advanced water sea kayak leader and sea kayak coach. During the winter I work as a ski guide (splitboard) on the rich mountainous area of the Greek mainland, I hold my Level 4 BASI EMS, avalanche instructor (ANENA) and Canadian Avalanche Association 1.
Moving in Paros has been a very rewarding decision, the nature is abundant and the quality of life is rich. Living on an island 8 months a year sea kayaking is an activity that comes naturally in the life of someone who loves the sea and the adventure and the opportunity to share that passion with other people makes it a most worthwhile endeavour.
SOFIA MYSTRIOTI
Personal Experience
Ι Graduated from the University of Physical Education and Sports Science of Athens in 2002. Sports are my life. I love mountain biking, windsurfing, sup and sailing. Sea kayaking is my new passion and I have worked for the last summers as a guide on the Greek islands. I am a BCU moderate water (previously known as 4* sea) sea kayak leader . I’m also certified with the Diploma of Offshore Sailing (1999) and the first aid response of the Red Cross (2016). Always with a smile but focused and concentrated. I speak English and Greek and my hobbies are painting and photography. I believe in volunteering so I couldn’t miss the chance to be a volunteer from 2001-2004 in the volunteer program of the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Athens in 2004. Winter is also a good time for me and I’ve been one of the top athletes in alpine skiing. I have participated in the winter Olympic games of Nagano in 1998. For the last 13 years I also work as a ski instructor and have been the head coach of the Greek National women ski team in 2003. In 2004 I moved to Serres in the North of Greece and became a professor -teaching winter sports- in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. I’ve also worked as an hourly gym teacher in Serres national college (IEK) and at the mass sports program of Serres Municipality.