Who are the Parents of Evy Leibfarth?

Evy Leibfarth is a professional American slalom canoeist who will be representing Team USA at three events in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She was born on January 26, 2004, in Sylva, North Carolina, and grew up in Bryson City, North Carolina, a small town on the Nantahala River. She was coached by her father and got interested in the sport at a tender age. She competed internationally at the age of 12.

In 2016, Evy went to K2 International Academy and waited for 2 years before going to Davidson College, where she is currently a student, to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology. She spent a total of three years on the junior team. Evy won her first U.S. championship in C1 in 2016, the same year she finished sixth in K1 at the Olympic team trials. In 2017, at the US Junior Olympic Championships, Evy won the ECA Junior Cup Championship, winning two titles. She earned a gold and silver medal in the U.S. Senior National Team Trials.

By the age of 14, Evy was the top-ranked female slalom canoeist in the country. In December 2018, she volunteered to be a board member at the Nantahala Racing Club. In 2019, Evy became qualified to join the senior international competition with Team USA. That year, Evy made headlines again when she became the Pan American Champion in K1.

Shortly after, she finished fourth in C1 and 21st in K1 at her first World Championships. In 2021, she claimed first place in both C1 and K1 at the U.S. Team Trials, and this made her the youngest Canoe Slalom athlete ever to achieve this honor. In 2020, at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Evy represented the United States. She won a bronze medal in the kayak cross at the 2021 World Championships in Bratislava.

Evy Leibfarth Parents

Jean Fogler and Lee Leibfarth are the parents of Evy Leibfarth. They were both kayakers themselves and met while serving as river guides.

Who is the father of Evy Leibfarth?

Lee Leibfarth is the father of Evy Leibfarth. He was born in Petersburg, NY, and currently lives in Bryson City, NC. A former competitive paddler, Lee coached the U.S. junior national team for four years starting in 1998 and now coaches his daughter. With 31 years of paddling experience, he has been involved in river running, whitewater slalom, SUP, and freestyle. He served on the 2013 Freestyle Worlds Organizing Committee, directed the Whitewater US OPEN, and organized the US Camp Cup Challenge youth race.

As Executive Director of the Nantahala Racing Club from 2002 to 2004, he managed operations and fundraising for the non-profit organization focused on preparing athletes for Olympic canoe and kayak competitions. He remains an active board member and volunteer. Lee also worked as an author for Marketplace Books in 2006 and as the Chief Operating Officer at Nantahala Outdoor Center from March 2007 to December 2012. He is the founder and president of PowerZone Trading, LLC.

Who is the mother of Evy Leibfarth?

Jean Fogler is Evy Leibfarth's mother. Jean is a former raft guide and kayak instructor who continued paddling even while pregnant with Evy. She is the co-founder of PowerZone Trading. In August 1996, she was made the Associate Head of School at a private college preparatory school for Olympic hopefuls, where she taught English to students in grades seven through twelve for nearly five years. A freelance writer and editor since 2005, Jean has over 15 years of experience and has written for Business Insider, SF Gate, The Motley Fool, Investopedia, and more.