Amazing Mary Shideler: Extraordinary Adventures, Fascinating Insights. Mary Shideler (aka The Kayak Lady), standing tall at 4’9”, never lets size interfere with her awesome sense of adventure. This Grand Rapids, Minnesota native’s tenacity and curiosity have taken her places to do things you may never do. Now she shares delightful and inspiring stories not only about kayaking all of Itasca County’s 1,007 lakes (and walking through quite a few bogs), but also traveling all of the world’s seven continents. Mary entertains, educates and inspires with lively presentations tailored to each audience she meets. You will not want to let this explorer go!