Skyler Overmyer stands in front of a fighter jet at Grissom Air Force Base, enjoying his self-proclaimed outdoorsman lifestyle. Photo provided by Skyler Overmyer.

By Libby Hubbard
InkfreeNews

LEITERS FORD — You may know his name, Skyler Overmyer — especially if you’ve ever rented a canoe on the Tippecanoe River. However, there’s more to Overmyer than meets the eye.

Overmyer has been paddling the Tippecanoe since the age of 5, helping to run the family canoe rental business his father started in 1996.

“I’ve been in a canoe my entire life,” Overmyer said. “I remember riding in the back of pickup trucks with strangers from all over the world, talking to people, learning about their lives. I’ve met so many different people through this river.”

The Overmyer family helped put Fulton County on the map for river adventuring, launching a website in the early days of the internet through Indiana Outfitters, where they were one of the site’s first clients.

“My whole life has been spent outdoors,” he said. “It’s just who I am.”

Rooted in small-town values, Overmyer lives by the motto “Progress, not perfection,” and finds peace through time outside with his four-legged friend, Hank the dog, tending to his garden along the riverbank, and supporting local businesses.

Today, Overmyer continues to live in Leiters Ford, where he says he enjoys the “inconvenience” of not having larger box stores or amenities to bring traffic through the quiet area.

“It’s not a place people flock to,” he said. “That’s why I like it. I like living a little out of the way. It keeps things simple.”
He’s a proud supporter of local businesses.

“I try to spend all my canoe rental money at local businesses,” he said. “Positivity brings positivity.”

Despite being a recognizable name around town, Overmyer isn’t overly concerned with reputation.

“I guess I never really thought about how Rochester thought of me,” he said. “I thought they just thought — I was me.”

Overmyer may not see himself as a leader, but he calls himself a “professional cat herder” — someone who quietly guides his friends and neighbors in the right direction.

“I loved growing up here,” he said. “It was always an adventure. My dad and I would skip school and go fishing. We were always exploring.”

With his strong ties to Fulton County and a heart for helping others, Overmyer isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

“I’ll probably die here,” Overmyer said, only half-joking. “Unless I fall off a cliff somewhere, I’ll be here in Fulton County for life.”
In a town that knows his name, Overmyer is still becoming comfortable being known, but one thing’s for sure: he’s exactly where he belongs.