Bio
Mary Anne Smrz is an avid kayaker who uses insights gained on the water to enrich her own life and the lives of others. She finds depth and meaning in her life from the solitude of kayaking and spending time in the restorative sanctuary of the natural world.
She offers insights on how lessons learned on the water help us all to navigate the uncharted waters of life.
She has written four books in her Reflections from the Red Kayak Series: Thoughts on Life, A Season on the Water, Change: Our Ever-Present Companion and most recently, Paddlin' with Thoreau.
She founded and guided the Red Kayak Institute from 2012-2019, leading kayaking retreats for cancer survivors, caregivers, fundraising retreats for local scholarship funds, retreats for women in 12-step recovery programs, writer’s workshops and more.
Today, Mary Anne offers her time giving book talks and offers individual services as a kayaking retreat facilitator in collaboration with other nonprofit groups and organizations.
She writes from her home in Wisconsin.
