CALGARY CANOE CHAMPION
HALEY DANIELS
PADDLES TOWARDS THE TOKYO 2020 GAMES
by Silvia Pikal
Today the 27-year-old is a
reigning Canadian Champion in
women’s canoe slalom.
Her big goal on the horizon is the
Tokyo 2020 games. Until she gets to
Tokyo, she savours each and every
training session.
“It’s a very free feeling,” Daniels
says. “My favourite part of paddling
is you get to be outside, and a lot
of places you paddle are in the
mountains — you get to be one
with nature and the water.
“It’s always different — I’m
not going to a track and running in
circles. I’m constantly challenged by
weather and the water and rocks
and logs. It’s an adrenaline rush. I
love my job and I am grateful I get
18
to do it everyday.”
It’s going to be a milestone in
more ways than one to get to
the games.
When she’s on the road at a
training camp, she wakes up at
7 am and makes her way to the
course, where she’ll paddle white
water for an hour, have a video
debrief after the session with her
coach, and nap and recover for one
hour before completing another
white water session. She’ll fit in
weights and core, and end the day
with stretching.
When she’s home she’s still
constantly on the go. Her schedule
is packed from 7 am to 6 pm or
later, dividing her time between
training sessions on the water
in Kananaskis, meeting with a
physiotherapist, weights and core,
stretching and, of course, the
hustling required to be a full-time
athlete — sponsorship meetings,
seeking out new leads and planning
her second fundraiser in 2019 to
support her travel expenses to
international competitions.
On top of everything, she’s
working towards a Bachelor of
Business Degree at Mount Royal
University, and trying to squeeze
in an hour of social time in her
day, too.
“Although we are fortunate to
spend our day conditioning our
bodies — and for me most of my
As an adventurous toddler
growing up in Calgary,
Haley Daniels loved playing
outside. She quickly fell
in love with paddling on
Alberta’s lakes and rivers
during summer canoe trips
with her family.