Dog walkers were in for a surprise this morning when members of a female paddleboarding team stripped naked and took to the freezing waters of Colwick Lake for a charity calendar shoot.
The tasteful snaps, which show team members practising yoga on their boards in the buff, will now be used in the calendar which is being put together to raise cash for Open House – a mental health charity in Hyson Green.
Team SUP, the paddleboarding team involved in today’s shoot, said the collection of pictures aim to celebrate the beauty of Nottingham’s women and nature.
The pictures were taken by local photographer Debbie Whitmore,
Paddleboarding continues to grow in popularity after being introduced to the area by Mapperley-based Cassie Paxton back in 2015.
Cassie now runs weekly classes in paddleboarding and yoga at both Colwick Lake and Highfields Lake in the city centre; she also regularly hosts adventure paddles along the Trent and the canals of Nottingham.
Cassie, said: “I am passionate about the health and wellbeing of women: All women are unique, beautiful and important and I want to empower and encourage women to be what they want to be and to see themselves as equal, worthy and special.
“I hope this calendar will help an amazing local charity, boost the confidence of local women, and also help people to see the beauty of Nottingham.”
The idea for the charity calendar first came from Carlton woman Claire Hill, who is also a member of Cassie’s TeamSUP:
She said: “Since joining TeamSUP I’ve seen a whole different side to Nottingham, viewing the city from its fabulous waterways. I’ve also seen how the amazing charisma of Cassie has helped boost the confidence of every woman that has taken to the water with her – and I thought that this was a fabulous way to further encourage women to face their fears.
“Everyone will look so great in the stunning setting of Colwick Lake. The whole experience has been liberating and empowering for the amazing women of SUP who have bared all and celebrated their shape and size. This calendar really demonstrates that we’re all beautiful, unique and real.”
Abigail Cast from Netherfield, was one of the women taking part in this morning’s shoot.
She said: “It’s been so much fun to take part in the photoshoot for the calendar. Stripping naked at Colwick Lake certainly gave a few dog walkers a surprise!
“It was scary but also empowering. I’m so proud to be involved in something that celebrates women of all shapes and sizes: we’re all real women – from size 6 to size 12 to size 20.”
Rungtip Chaiyapo, who lives in Bestwood Park, also took part.
She said: “I got involved in the calendar because it’s a great charity. When I saw my image I felt so proud of myself and more confident in myself and my body. Women support women – TeamSUP rules.”
The calendar, Ladies of the Lake 2017, is being printed by Inc Print, Nottingham.
They will cost £5 each. To place a pre-order contact cassiepaxton@supfitness.co.uk
