Congratulations to Will Stahl, recipient of the 2026 Impact Award presented by NEWP, Inc. at its March 2026 Film Festival in Green Bay, WI.
The Impact Award recognizes an individual’s outstanding efforts to support NEWP’s activities and programs in fulfilling its mission of encouraging and advancing paddle sports education and safety. Few people embody that mission as fully — and as consistently — as Will.
Originally from Wonder Lake, Illinois, Will’s paddling story began in the mid-1970s on Missouri’s Current River. After pinning a canoe to a tree and spending the night in a wet sleeping bag, he discovered not discouragement, but determination. That early lesson in perseverance and humility on moving water would later shape the steady, practical leadership he brought to our paddling community.
Will connected with Green Bay paddlers soon after moving to Wisconsin in 1990, during the GBPU (Green Bay Paddlers United) years, and has been involved ever since — including at the conversion to NEWP. As a long-time board member, he has helped guide the organization’s direction while also doing the hands-on work that makes programs succeed. From starting winter pool sessions in Neenah and instructing in many years of skills classes in Appleton to summer camps at the Wausau Whitewater course and Bob Obst’s site on the Wolf River’s Irrigation Ditch, Will has consistently supported the educational backbone of the club.
His background as a paddler who learned through experience — sometimes the hard way — translated naturally into his commitment to safety and skill development. He has helped teach countless classes, mentored new paddlers, and quietly encouraged others to step into leadership roles. Even in recent years, as shoulder challenges have limited his time on the water, his support of NEWP’s programs and mission has remained strong.
What Will enjoys most is seeing someone accomplish what they once doubted they could do — and then watching them grow from there. That perspective mirrors his impact on the club itself. Many paddlers he helped get started have gone on to become highly skilled boaters, instructors, and leaders, strengthening NEWP’s culture of education and safety.
Will is the proud father of three daughters, with three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and has shared the past decade with his partner, Kathryn. Reflecting on his journey, he notes that much of his adult life has been spent “on some kind of water in a very small boat” — and that it was a fine way to spend that time.
Through decades of board service, instruction, mentorship, and steady behind-the-scenes leadership, Will Stahl has made a lasting difference in NEWP and in the paddling community we serve. Please join us in celebrating his well-deserved recognition.