Lola Makar has always been fond of getting out on the water.
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But after undergoing double shoulder surgery in 2013, her love for swimming was hindered.
However, Makar found a new way to enjoy the water, paddleboarding.
"There's just something about going out on the water, being able to stand up and see everything around you," Makar said.
"It's like walking on water."
Once Makar had truly fallen in love with paddleboarding her goal was to take it to the next level.
Earlier this month Makar embarked on the Gippsland Lakes Paddle Challenge, a 27km race from Paynesville to Lakes Entrance.
"I wanted a challenge, and the Gippsland Lakes came up so I picked the marathon distance," Makar said.
Makar was the only female competitor to embark on the full marathon leg of the race, and finished with a final time of 3:05.13.
"I put in plenty of training and I'm really happy with my final time.
"It just shows, if you put your mind to it and train hard - you will always get results."
Makar's husband Jamie grew up on Victoria's surf coast, and has been involved in paddleboarding for years.
With their mutual love for paddleboarding, they decided to start Stillwater Paddleboards, central Victoria's own inland fully accredited stand-up paddleboard School.
"The moment people try paddleboarding, they always fall in love with it," Makar said.
"It's completely weightless with very little pressure on the body's joints and it's great for people of all abilities - recently we've seen a lot of mature age people give it a go."
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