Photo : Claire Barber
What advice would you give to those wanting to try SUP racing ?
I think what can hold people back from trying racing is the question , can I physically do it ? My answer is yes ! But you must do it your way ; it is your journey . For longer races , of course , physically , you have to give yourself time to plan , prepare and understand how your body responds in the weeks and days leading up to the race and on the day . I also suggest seeking the advice and input of an experienced instructor initially and then a SUP race coach . There aren ’ t many coaches and SUP racers inland in Cambridgeshire , where I mainly paddle on rivers . Because I am self-taught , I benefited from race clinics but mainly from oneto-one video analysis with Martin Rendle , owner of Norfolk Outdoor Adventures , aka NOA . Having his feedback about my paddle stroke was an absolute game-changer . The result was a much-improved paddle stroke , instantly taking minutes off 5k time trial times ! But it is not just the physical but also the psychological that needs to be trained . I believe that racing is a case of mind over body . A huge part of the psychology is not comparing yourself to others unless it ’ s positive , which I realise is difficult . It is instead about focusing on what you can personally achieve in the environment you are competing in because , in an instant , anything can change on the water . You need to be resilient enough to pivot .
What have been the high points over the last year with your racing and in your role as a ShePaddles Ambassador ?
So many high points ! Mainly contributing through being a visible and approachable champion for women and a voice for the global ethnic minority on
Meeting like-minded inspirational people at shows with Sabrina Pace-Humphreys the water . From meeting and getting to know the fantastic people on the water , the racing community here in the UK and paddlers in the USA , to becoming an ambassador for Turtle Bay Paddlesports & Panda Board Sports and supporting British Canoeing with the promotion of the newly released SUP Safer course . I ’ m actively looking at ways to inspire and support , starting locally with my paddlers in SUP Huntingdon , a Facebook community to take to the water and achieve their goals . To do this , I ’ m qualifying as a British Canoeing Paddlesports Leader and starting my SUP race coach course qualifications . People often stop me with questions about the sport and my equipment ; there ’ s a real appetite to give it a go . But , I have to admit , the one that gave me a real buzz was receiving a message from SUP World Rankings with the news that I ’ d made it onto the long distance list . Not only that , I was midway , ranking 122 out of 280 ! I remember thinking , this is amazing ! To receive this kudos is like seeing your name in lights .
Thanks and acknowledgements to my husband , Nick , family and friends who support me with my paddle adventures . SUP Huntingdon and OG ’ s ; Lucy Small from SUPaholic ; Adrian Warren , Phil Jobling & Stephen Humphrey ’ s . Graeme Williams at Turtle Bay Paddlesports for the opportunity to join the family as an ambassador . Martin Rendall at Norfolk Outdoors Adventure and the welcoming NOA race team . Sam Rutt at Barefoot Ocean Athlete and the community , Grant Barlett especially for his encouragement to get into racing and Anna Nadolna at SUPer Whale for putting on epic SUP clinics with paddler aficionados like Grant Barlett and Blue Ewer .
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