C is for ...

We haven’t done one of these for a while! C is for canoe slalom! You might have watched this at the Olympics and like me, been transfixed.

Australia’s Jess Fox won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and she is in fact the most successful ‘paddler’ of all time, men and women. She has a staggering 35 World Cup gold medals, eight world championship titles and now three medals from four Olympic Games. Her parents were both Olympic athletes in kayaking (similar to canoeing). Team GB Slalom canoer Lois Leaver has written this report for us on her beloved sport and she also watched her parents first - #justsayin.

Canoe slalom is a fast-paced sport which takes place over an 80-100 second white water course. Similar to slalom skiing, athletes have to navigate their way done the white water through red and green gates. Red gates must be performed in the upstream direction and green gates downstream. Every piece of river or artificial white water across the world is different and no combination of gates are the same.

That’s why I love it. I started canoe slalom because both my parents competed in the sport. I’d been paddling since the age of seven and I also competed in swimming and diving but I chose slalom because I loved the idea that every time I get in my boat I’ll be doing something slightly different than the day before.

Anyone can try canoe slalom regardless of fitness or any existing sporting ability. It helps to be strong but that can improve as you train. The canoe is really light and we wear some specialist kit to keep the water out of the canoe and ourselves safe. There are lots of places to learn around the world – just go on your country’s canoe association and it should tell you there. If you live near a canoe club, maybe pop down and say hi and ask more about the sport – we’re a friendly bunch!

Canoe slalom makes me feel amazing! The feeling of gliding through the water, over waves and stoppers is incredible. Although it’s a bit cold in winter, summer paddling makes it all worth it. Being able to travel the world to go to different venues in the sun in unbeatable.

I’ve been on the GB team since 2018, both as a junior and under 23. I’ve won a bronze and silver European championship team medal and bronze medal in the world championships team race. I’m from Edinburgh but moved to London to train full time with British Canoeing in summer 2021.

I hope to be selected for the GB team again this year (2022) and race the 2022 World and European championships this summer. As well as finishing my first year of university in the spring….

For any girls wanting to start canoe slalom I would say - definitely do it! There are so many opportunities to develop and an array of people and organisations to help along the way. It’s such an amazing sport to be a part of with a great community of support. Check out Slalom Inspires website for some great female inspiration!

Thanks Lois – that is a great website, thanks for the tip off and thanks for introducing us to your sport!