Lily is a co-founder of Diversify Whitewater and is currently a PhD student in Ecology at Colorado State University and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She started kayaking at the age of 9 at Valley Mill Camp near Washington, DC, which launched a lifetime love of whitewater. She competed nationally and internationally in whitewater slalom from the ages of 12-17 and has since enjoyed teaching kids at Valley Mill and kayaking recreationally. In total, she has 15 years of kayaking experience, including 5 years of racing and 7 years of teaching. The idea for Diversify Whitewater was born from her desire to share her passion for paddling with other BIPOC.