Events week: Sportsister goes canoeing

May 22, 2024

Fancy getting out on the water? National Go Canoeing Week is an annual participation event that runs from Saturday 18 May – Sunday 26 May, aimed at getting as many paddlers and boats on the water as possible.

With events and activities happening across the country at over 400 clubs, there’s something for everyone - whatever your age or paddling ability. From Starter Sessions, aimed at giving beginners their first taste of paddling, through to mass-participation events organised in conjunction with their partners, such as manufacturers Palm and Pyranha.

Sportsister’s very own novice paddler Lizzie went to check it out.

Having never set foot in a canoe before, I was wary as to what to expect, and if I’m honest my main concern was falling in!

But wearing a fleece, wetsuit, life jacket and anorak all provided by the team at Chelsea Kayaking Club, I definitely felt safe and warm, and before I had time to worry, we had chosen our partners and were out in the water.

Being the lightest out of the pair, I was sat at the front, which meant that I didn’t need to worry about keeping in time at least!

The weather was typically British; grey clouds and extremely muggy, but it did mean that the water was very still which made for a smooth paddle along the River Thames and also less chance of sea sickness!

To begin with, we set off against the current which made for a fairly stiff paddle and actually a pretty good work out. But I found once my partner and I had got into a rhythm it was easy to move, control and steer the boat, and at times, it even felt theraputic with the gentle trickling sound of the water so close.

We were fortunate with our time on the water as there was hardly any traffic which allowed us to have a lot of freedom to explore. And explore we did - did I mention our huge eight mile round trip up the river?

Arriving at our half-way destination of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye was a fantastic experience, to have a completely new vantage point to view such iconic sights from down on the water was incredible.

However, here of course, there was a lot more going on in the river. Leisure boats, ferries and other water sport participation made it more tricky to relax and move about with freedom, plus the extra movement in the water also meant that it was a little more choppy, but I still felt safe and the bumpy water only added to the fun!

After a few snaps, it was time to paddle home…at this point I could feel my arms were fairly tired, but heading back was a lot easier as we had the wind and current behind us, so even when we stopped for a little break at least we were drifting in the right direction.

We finished early evening, nearly two and a half hours of canoeing was definitely a lot for a first time experience and my arms and back were really tired come the end.

But what a fantastic new sport to have tried, it was definitely a lot easier than I had anticipated, my confidence grew fairly quickly and not once when I was in the boat did I worry about losing my balance and falling in the water.

The team of instructors at Chelsea Kayak Club were super; really friendly and helpful and their passion for the sport was so evident, it completely rubbed off on me!

I would definitely recommend anyone to have a go at canoeing. For those who have never done it, or have never taken part in water sports, it’s so easy just to pop down to your local club with some friends and have a go. For me, it was such a unique and enjoyable experience, plus if you get the chance, paddling through London on the River Thames is very special.

So a little about Go Canoeing. The campaign was started only last year as an Olympic legacy initiative by Canoe England, aimed at using the power and influence of the Games to boost grassroots participation in the sport.

The initiative strives to introduce 20,000 new people to canoeing by 2017 and also encourage 25 per cent of those new participants to continue in the sport by making it easily accessible by running activities at over 400 clubs and centres across England.

So if you fancy getting out on the water for a bit, why not join them and give it a go?

National Go Canoeing Week will be taking place across England between Saturday 18^th – Sunday 26^th May 2013. To find out what activities are taking place at a club near you, whatever your ability, visit www.gocanoeing.org.uk.

Lizzie Flint, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

canoeing

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Events week: Sportsister goes canoeing

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