DAYTON — Captain Genevieve Evans is a Montana native, but she left the shores of home to chart her own course, and a pretty impressive one at that.

“Captain G” as she’s called, and it is a title she has earned. She has been a USCG captain, an ASA instructor and a professional sailor for the past decade, spending her time racing, teaching and sailing in the Virgin Islands, Belize and Montana.

The owner of Go Sail Flathead Lake Montana, Evans is one of the few women who have received the captain title, and she wears it with the purpose of teaching people how to sail at her local business on Flathead Lake.

“For me, always has just been an opportunity to be self-reliant,” said Evans. “I challenge myself and network with a lot of other people, and we offer sailing lessons for women, especially on the lake because it’s an opportunity for them to challenge themselves, and take risks and be a part of a team.”

“I think women not only get uplifted from each other but the challenges that we put each other up against,” added participant and owner of Outsiety women’s outdoor group Lauri McCargar.