Who She Is

Tonia grew up in the water and mountains of the great Pacific Northwest, taking full advantage of everything active the area has to offer. Tonia moved her life and career from Seattle to the Columbia Gorge in 2002 to work and live the outdoor lifestyle year-round.

Athlete & Coach
Today, Tonia is actively involved as a pilates and kiteboarding instructor. She founded the Women's Kiteboarding Association through which she puts on kiteboarding clinics and camps to bring more women into the sport. Tonia has taught more than 130 women how to kiteboard and continues to teach women's camps and promote women in the sport. She also runs a kite school in the summer - Cascade Kiteboarding Academy in Stevenson, Washington.

Advocacy & Philanthropy
Most recently, Tonia co-founded and directed Kiteboarding 4 Cancer and Paddle 4 Cancer, two fundraisers that bring watersport and healthcare communities together to raise money for cancer prevention, research and rehabilitation programs. Tonia is active in her community as an instructor for community education, board member of the Columbia Gorge Kitesurfing Association, and Chair on the Children's Hospital Guild Assocation, Scotty's Guild.

Farman Creative
Farman Creative is Tonia's Marketing Communication & Design business. Some would call it a "day job" or a "real job". This is just another one of Tonia's many passions. She has been producing creative marketing solutions to clients such as Microsoft, REI, Eddie Bauer, The Seattle Mariners, and Chateau Ste Michel since 1997. Now she mostly promotes her causes!