Member Spotlight: Bob Littler

At our winter pool clinics, you may have seen this paddler working patiently on his roll and having fun with the younger boaters around him. That is Bob Littler, one of the kindest and most quietly determined people around the pool, and also happens to be our most senior pool participant.

A dedicated Kiwanis member who supports local youth and service projects in his free time, Bob first heard about the club through Scott Dillard at a Kiwanis event. With a little encouragement from Joe Elson, he signed up for a pool clinic, his first time in a kayak, and quickly felt at home.

“I found the instruction team to be really good, friendly, helpful, and you felt very comfortable in the situation,” Bob said. “I felt that it was achievable.”

At 72, Bob seems to thrive on challenging himself in new ways. He is taking college algebra and conversational Spanish at Colorado Mountain College this semester. Among other activities, he is active in Kiwanis, finding ways to support our valley's youth through service projects and fundraising; he loves to ski in the winter. And now he is learning to kayak.

He is a lifelong learner in the truest sense.

Bob did not start skiing until he was 44, and he loves skiing the trees. "It's one of the most enjoyable things that I do", he says. He brings that same mindset to kayaking.

“I’m a slow learner,” he said with a smile. “But I’m hoping I can ultimately do the same with kayaking. I want to be good and competent and capable and able to enjoy the rivers.”

What you might not notice right away is that Bob is much more athletic than he lets on. He carries himself with humility, always downplaying his progress. But the rumor around the pool deck is that he landed his roll during just his second clinic.

One of the things that stood out to him most about kayaking was the spirit of the community.

“It was inspiring to see how good the younger instructors were and all the different things they could do,” he said. “And to see the camaraderie. I had no idea about the whole psyche of people who do kayaking. That was inspiring.”

His advice to people who are thinking about trying kayaking who aren't sure it's for them is to try a pool clinic. “The pool clinic is an ideal way to start and to get a feel for it,” he said. “Safety first. You guys are good at that. You make sure that you’re always in a safe situation and that you know what to do.”

He also hopes to see more people his age give it a try. “As you get older, you’ve really got to decide that you want to stay vital and energetic,” he said. “Being involved in something like the kayaking club really fits that bill for me. I’d love to see more older people getting involved. It could be a new and exciting thing for them.”

He frames kayaking in this way, “it’s a sport for people of all abilities,” he said. “It’s like skiing. You can ski the greens or you can ski the extremes."

Which is true, the best kayaker on the river is not the most advanced, it's the one having the most fun.

Bob’s story is a reminder of the kind of people we all hope to become. Curious. Humble. Committed to growth. Still learning. Still serving. Still showing up. And still willing to try something new and challenging, even at 72. Thank you, Bob, for being part of our community!