1,150 Miles! A Woman In Her 70s Just Finished Kayaking The Entire Lake Of The Ozarks Shoreline

Near Bagnell Dam on this warm Tuesday afternoon, the paddles of a kayaker were spotted cutting across the water, with balloons dragging behind it. But if you don't know Yvonne Townsend, you wouldn't realize this was the culmination of a six-year journey...one that, as far as anyone can tell, no one else has completed.

Friends, neighbors, and former coworkers gathered at Neon Taco on Sept. 8 to wait for Yvonne's arrival. Cheers erupted as she finally reached the docks. She had officially kayaked every mile of the Lake of the Ozarks shoreline — all 1,150 miles.

Emotions started hitting Yvonne as she walked up the steps, where she joked that she was glad she wasn't wearing mascara. She was greeted with hugs, flowers, well wishes, and a margarita on the rocks with no salt.

"It's really bittersweet. I kind of don't believe it," Yvonne said. "And when I saw all the people, I was getting very emotional because it's just awesome that they turned up to celebrate."

It all began in 2020 because Yvonne, who's now in her mid-70s, was bored and loved kayaking.

For her trips, husband Gary helped prep the equipment, even backing the trailer to the water so she wouldn't have to. Early on, they would go by boat, with Yvonne kayaking for a few hours while Gary fished nearby.

She didn't intend to kayak the whole shoreline. But she got bored with paddling around her little area and kept branching out.

"I didn't seriously think I would do it, but the further I got, the more determined I became," Yvonne said.

Her stamina increased over the years, too. Starting out, she was kayaking a max of about five miles at a time. Now she can cover 12–17 miles.

Yvonne estimates 75% of her mileage came during the last four years. She particularly enjoyed going into coves and quieter reaches of the Lake, where the wildlife and scenery transported her to another world.

"There are all kinds of beautiful dragonflies and marshy areas and sounds that you hear out there," Yvonne said. "I did really enjoy the nature that you don't notice when you're on the main channel."

Just when Yvonne thought she was almost finished, she realized she was about 77 miles short. Lo and behold, the shoreline mileage included islands. She spent much of the last month going back around them, including the many islands near Truman Dam.

Back in 2022, Yvonne predicted it could take another 10 to 12 years to finish, putting her in her mid-80s by the time she completed the journey. Instead, she finished in her mid-70s.

Gary is proud of her, to say the least. Back at Neon Taco, her friends joked about teaching Yvonne how to paddle and marveled at the patience it took to complete the journey.

As for what's next, Yvonne doesn't know yet. For now, she was happy making the rounds at Neon Taco and celebrating an accomplishment six years in the making.

And after 1,150 miles together, she says her well-worn kayak — scratches and all — has been a good friend.