Born in Singapore, Aily spent a lot of time travelling to South East Asia, especially Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia throughout her childhood. The warm, tropical climate meant lots of beach time and her love for water developed from there.
After a few years working as a flight attendant and living in Japan, Aily moved to New Zealand where she spent a half a year living on an offshore yacht sailing around the South Island and Wellington. “I woke up to a different view every morning, one day I will be in the Marlborough Sounds, another day at the marina, or just in the middle of nowhere. As fun as sailing was and life on the water could be, I missed being able to jump straight into the water without worrying about how cold the water is so relocating to Brisbane after 2 years was only logical and the best decision ever.”
Now a mother of two young boys, 4 and 2 years old, SUP is the best and most ideal water sport for her as she actively gets her older son to join her on the board. “He is pre-school age and because I work from home, he is at home with me on non-Kindy days. I hate seeing him spending hours on the iPad while I am stuck on the computer so as soon as I can get time off I take him out”.
Aily says that her son is beginning to enjoy the ride with the different activities that they come up with - spot dolphins, cruise near ducks and pelicans, chase boat wakes or using their imagination and identifying clouds. To keep her son “entertained” and happy on the board longer, Aily usually takes his favourite juice and a fresh fruit along on the ride.
“We have the most interesting and funniest conversations whilst out on the water, but most importantly I get to spend quality time with him, enjoy mother nature and also keep myself fit. I can’t wait for my younger son to join us by next summer.”
Besides SUPing, Aily loves cooking and music. When out SUPing by herself, she takes her music with her, either on an ipod or the ukulele.
A Bribie Island resident, the beaches surrounding the island and canals are where Aily paddles most of the time. “The beaches and waterways are not crowded and relatively peaceful compared to those up North or down South, and the Glasshouse Mountains as your backdrop is just amazing”.
Photojournalism and creative writing were two of Aily’s favourite modules in Uni, and with work experience in a NZ lifestyle magazine company she regularly captures her paddles and adventures and shares them on Instagram.
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Dean
