Meet Mary Anne

Author⋅ Retreat Facilitator

Book Signing at Barnes and Noble

Author

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. In her Reflections from the Red Kayak book series, she shares introspective thoughts on how lessons learned on the water help us all to navigate the uncharted waters of life.

A number of years ago, while caught in a cycle of grief, Mary Anne kayaked her way to healing. As a result, she founded and guided the Red Kayak Institute from 2012-2019, leading kayaking retreats for cancer survivors, caregivers, fundraising retreats for local high school scholarship funds, retreats for women in 12-step recovery programs, writer’s workshops and more.

Today, Mary Anne offers her individual services as a kayaking retreat facilitator in collaboration with other nonprofit groups and organizations.

Mary Anne received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago and her master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. 

She writes from her home in northern Wisconsin.

Mary Anne leads the fund raising retreat for the 

Jan Malloy Memorial Paddle

Retreat Facilitator

A number of years ago, while caught in a cycle of grief, Mary Anne kayaked her way to healing. Because of the restorative benefits she experienced on the water, Mary Anne thought others could receive the same. 

She founded and guided the Red Kayak Institute from 2012-2019, leading kayaking retreats for the following:

  • Cancer survivors and caregivers from the Edward Hospital Cancer Center
  • Fund-raising retreats for the Jan Malloy Memorial Scholarship Fund
  • Recovery on the Water 6-Part Series for women in 12-step Recovery Programs
  • Retreats for Writer’s Workshops
  • Yoga groups and more.

Today, Mary Anne offers her individual services as a kayaking retreat facilitator in collaboration with other non-profit groups and organizations. She is now facilitating retreats in partnership with the Marywood Spirituality Center on Trout Lake in northern Wisconsin.