COLUMBUS — Megan O’Reilly got the call six days before nationals: The Red Lady Raft Racing Team needed her.

The former Absarokee River Adventures guide boarded a flight to California, landed in Redding, drove to the small Trinity River town of Weaverville and was on the water within two hours.

Four days later, she and her teammates were national champions.

The Red Ladies captured the women’s title at the Trinity River Nationals Rafting Championship, besting eight other teams across five grueling events that test both skill and endurance. The victory sends them to the 2026 World Championships, where a top-five finish could help bring raft racing to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“A national title is cool and all, but for me personally I want to be a good role model for women in sport

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