A kayak tour guide in Birmingham is one of ten people in the running to be named VisitEngland's annual Tourism Superstar.
Lily-Rose Sheppard volunteered as a guide leading kayak and stand-up paddleboard tours to visitors along Birmingham’s canals.
It followed her struggles with fibromyalgia and Covid.
Ms Sheppard told the BBC: “I absolutely love what I do and never expected anything like that to happen, I just love showing people around Birmingham and waffling on about it.”
She learned to kayak, rescue people capsized in boats and deliver tours.
Her previous experience as a performer also helped her connect with audiences, actively engaging them in the city’s history on her tours.
Her dedication to providing great experiences on the water led to the Roundhouse Birmingham creating a paid-role for Lily-Rose which has been rewarded through five-star reviews by visitors and guests.
Vote for Lily-Rose here >>
She told the BBC that touring the city by kayak offered a “completely different perspective”.
“I always hear the same thing, it is a lot prettier than they expected it to be, which I love because I love being like ‘yeah, look at it, it is gorgeous, we have an amazing city’,” Ms Sheppard said.
The overall winner of the competition will be chosen through a public vote, which is due to close at the end of English Tourism Week.