G.O.A.T. of Expedition Sea Kayaking

Freya Hoffmeister is an exceptional figure—both in extreme sports and in entrepreneurship. Respectfully known in the international kayaking community as the "Goddess of Love to the Seas," she is today the undisputed "G.O.A.T. of Expedition Kayaking" (Greatest of All Time). As a highly skilled open-ocean paddler, she has already mastered three of the largest continental circumnavigations in a sea kayak—a record that is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon.

An ordinary life was never an option for the Schleswig-Holstein native, born on May 10, 1964, and raised in Heikendorf near Kiel. Although she graduated from high school at just 17 and began training as a civil servant at the Schleswig-Holstein Data Center, it quickly became clear: a life behind a desk was not for her. She broke away, spent six months traveling through South Africa, tried studying to become a sports and geography teacher, and finally found her first big stage in entrepreneurship at the age of 22.

She joined the Jannys Eis Franchise GmbH and took over the shop at Markt 2 in Husum. From this single location, she rapidly built a small empire, at times managing up to seven branches along the west coast (2 x Husum, Friedrichstadt, Lunden, Heide, 2 x St. Peter-Ording). Her relentless energy was also evident in winter: for over 30 years, she transformed her main shop into a massive Christmas store during the colder months, which she sold off extremely successfully in 2019—just before the pandemic. Today, she focuses on her two thriving main ice cream cafés in her hometown of Husum.

This indomitable will has always defined her athletic life. From the age of six to sixteen, she was a competitive gymnast, followed by five years of competitive bodybuilding. Before she discovered the water, the sky belonged to her: as a skydiver, she completed over 1,500 jumps worldwide—including at the North Pole. She made history along the way by becoming Germany's first female tandem skydiving pilot, bringing over 500 passengers safely back to earth.

The turning point came in 1996 with the birth of her son, Helge. She traded her parachute for her first kayak. In the early years, she enjoyed calm lakes and rivers—with her growing toddler in the rear hatch. But she soon discovered "real," rough sea kayaking with friends. Her gymnastics background paid off: she perfected the "Greenland-style" roll so rapidly that she was soon invited to coach at symposiums worldwide.

The definitive starting gun for her unprecedented expedition career fired in 2007 with the circumnavigation of Iceland. Since then, she has known no limits. After rounding three major islands and (almost) three continents, she is currently still undertaking her most epic journey yet: the first-ever sea kayak circumnavigation of North America. Launched in 2017, this staged expedition is expected to keep her busy until 2030—and continue writing the legend of the "Goddess of Love to the Seas."