At 26, Heidi Heuker already has more than fifteen years of experience on the water. She grew up commercial fishing with her dad, starting as a young girl gillnetting on the Columbia River in Oregon. When she was 10 years old, she traveled to Alaska for her first salmon season, and she has returned every summer since.
Those early years shaped the way she works and the way she handles pressure. Fishing taught her discipline, resilience, and how to learn from mistakes without getting discouraged. Each season pushed her to build stronger skills and a stronger sense of confidence.
At 19, Heidi began crabbing in the Bering Sea, one of the most demanding fisheries in the world. The work was intense and constantly straining physically and mentally. Over time she learned how to handle every part of the job and how to stay levelheaded even when the conditions turned difficult.
“The Bering Sea tests your strength and your mindset,” she says. “You never know what it is going to throw at you.”
Both the easy days and the hard ones have shaped her into the deckhand she is today.
Heidi also understands how challenging it can be for women to enter the industry. She hopes to see more boats open their doors to women who are ready to work hard and prove themselves.
“We are strong, capable, and ready to put in the work,” she says.
Her story is built on time on deck, the skills she has earned, and the commitment she has shown year after year. In doing that, she is helping create more space for the next generation of women who want to follow the same path.
