Paddling With Haley

Food = Fuel
At only five feet tall, Haley Mills has to garner as much strength as possible from every inch of her body. Physical training is an important part of that, so she lifts weights and does yoga in addition to paddling every day to improve her strength.

But Mills says that she now considers diet as just as important.

“A better diet has increased the quality of my life,” Mills says. “I ask a lot of my body and now realize I need to take care of it better.”

The diet is worth it, Mills says. “I feel much better.”

She follows a few dietary rules:

No, do not eat this
Sugar
Dairy products—milk and cheese (eggs are not a dairy product)
Alcohol
Most carbohydrates
Gluten—”I thought this was just a joke, but then I found out that the gluten was causing a lot of inflammation in my body. I wasn’t recovering from training as quickly as I should. After doing some research I found out that a lot of Olympic athletes exclude gluten from their diets.”

Yes, eat this
Healthy snacks such as nuts and chicken jerky
Lots of raw fruits and vegetables
A few carbs

Haley Mills awards
Check out Mills’ wins she posted from the past three years:

2013 Results
• U.S. Freestyle KayakingTeam Trials: 1st Place Pro Women
• Tuck Fest: 1st Place Women’s Elite 12’6 Flat-Water Sprint, 1st Place Whitewater Race
• Cinco De Mayo SUP Splash Series: 1st Place Women’s Elite 12’6
• Richmond River Rocks: 2nd Place Freestyle Kayak, 2nd Place Boater Cross, 2nd Place Elite Women’s 12’6 Sprint, 3rd Place Women’s SUP Cross CKS Paddle Fest, 3rd Place Freestyle Kayak, 2nd Place Women’s SUP Hill Down Hill
• GoPro Games: 1st Place Women’s Downriver Sprint, 1st Place Women’s SUP Cross, 2nd Place Freestyle Kayak, 4th Place Home Stake Creek Race
• FIBArk: 1st Place Women’s Downriver Sprint, 2nd Place Women’s SUP Cross, 2nd Place Freestyle Kayak
• Payette River Games: 2nd Place Overall SUP Women
• West Virginia SUP Race: 1st Place Women Attainment River Race, 1st Place Women in Downriver Sprint

2012 Results
• Alabama Mountain Games: 2nd Place Women’s Freestyle Kayaking, 1st Place Women’s SUP Cross
• Carolina Cup, Short Race SUP 12’6
• NOC Shootout 2nd Place Women’s Freestyle
• Stand Up for the Hooch, 4th Place Women’s 12’6
• Richmond River Rocks: 1st Place Women’s Boater Cross, ,1st Place Women’s Freestyle Kayaking, 1st Place Women’s SUP Cross, 2nd Place Women’s SUP Endro
• CKS Paddle Fest: 2nd Place SUP Cross, 5th Place Freestyle Kayaking
• Teva Mountain Games, 2nd Place Women’s Freestyle Kayaking
• Rocky Mountain Sur Fest, 3rd Place Overall Female
• FIBArk:1st Place Women’s Freestyle Kayaking, 1st Place Women’s SUP Cross, 3rd Place Women’s SUP, Downriver Sprint, 2nd Place SUP Women
• Montana Whitewater Championships, 1st Place USA Freestyle Kayaking Point Series
• Kelly’s Whitewater Park: 1st SUP Cross, 5th Freestyle Kayaking
• H20 Overdrive: 7th Women’s SUP 5 Mile, 2nd in Kayak Boater-Cross, 5th SUP Cross
• Weber River Race, 5th Place SUP Cross
• World Cup 3 Events
• Gauley River SUP Race: 1st Overall Woman, 1st Whitewater SUP Sprint, 1st SUP Attainment Race
• Battle of the Paddle, 3rd Place by Age Group Open 5 Mile
• Chattanooga River Rocks—7th Place 7 Mile SUP
• Chattajack 31.5 Mile SUP Race, 3rd 12’6 SUP Woman
• St. Simon Island SUP Race, 3rd Place Overall Female 7 Mile
• Water Monkey Race, 7th Place 6 Mile SUP
• St. Pete Pacifico Race, 8th Place 5 Mile SUP

2011 Results
• 5th Place World Freestyle Kayak Championships, Plattling, Germany
• 2nd Place USA Point Series
• Alabama Mountain Games: 2nd Place Pro Freestyle, 1st place SUP Sprint
• Connecticut Triple Crown: 2nd Place Pro Freestyle, 4th Place Downriver/Slalom
• Nantahala Pro Shootout, 2nd Place Pro Freestyle
• Reno River Festival: 4th Place Pro Freestyle, 4th Place Slalom
• Green River Rodeo, 4th Place Pro Freestyle
• Buena Vista Pro Rodeo, 3rd Place Pro Freestyle
• Teva Mountain Games: 3rd Place Pro Freestyle, 7th Place River Sprint
• Upper Gauley Animal Race, 2nd Place Downriver Sprint
• New River Gorge SUP Race, 2nd Place in Attainment and Down River
• Surf Kayak World Championships, 7th Place Short and Long boat
• St. Pete Beach SUP Race, 8th Place 5 Mile

2010 Results
• 1st Place US Point Series Champion
• U.S. Freestyle Team Trails, 3rd Place Pro Freestyle
• Nantahala Pro Shootout, 1st Place Freestyle
• Buena Vista Pro Rodeo, 5th Place Freestyle
• FIBArk, 3rd Place Pro Freestyle
• Lyons Outdoor Games, 2nd Place Pro Freestyle
• Teva Mountain Games, 3rd Place Pro Freestyle
• Alabama Mountain Games: 1st Place Waterfall Pro Women’s, 8th Place Waterfall
• Boater-Cross Pro Men’s, 3rd Place Pro Freestyle
• Upper Gauley Animal Race, 4th Place Downriver Sprint