Wally Werderich of Yorkville, Illinois has lead a life that is never too far away from a river or a paddle. Learning to canoe through the Boy Scouts when he was seven years old, (he ultimately earned the rank of Eagle Scout), Wally has had a lifetime of river adventures. From the serenity of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to traversing the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, there is always an adventure with Wally on the water. When Wally was a teenager, the canoe racing bug bit him and it was all downhill from there.  Accomplishing a dream of his, in 2023 Wally along with teammates Scott Miller, Paul Cox and Judd Steinbeck set the Guinness World Record for paddling the entire 2,350 mile length of the Mississippi River in 16 days 20 hours and 16 minutes. Beyond his Mississippi River record, Wally has competed in multiple United States Canoe Association National Championships and many of the largest canoe races throughout the country.  Some of the finishes that Wally is most proud of are, his two top three finishes in the Missouri River 340, his two class wins in the Texas Water Safari, his four class wins and top three finishes in the Tour De Teche, his class win in the Everglades Challenge, his two United States Canoe Association stock C1 national championships, and his three AuSable River Canoe Marathon finishes.  That said, Wally is most proud of the fact that he has spread his love of paddling with his family.  You may have noticed that his son George is a part of the Missouri Speed Record team.  Additionally, Wally’s wife Belem and his Mom are also often with Wally on his canoe adventures. His whole family competes with the St. Charles Canoe Club (IL). While not confirmed, it is rumored that Wally is a member of the legendary Los Humungos Paddleos masked luchador canoe racing team. If asked, Wally will tell you that he makes his living carrying Los Humungos Paddleos’ canoe paddles and washing their capes.