ThePADDLER 106
WWR SUP to
Emily Evans Q & A
Q & A : Sarah Thornely ( Supjunkie ) Photos : Jade Rogers and Supjunkie
Emily Evans is a bright young talent and not just in SUP – she has competed at a very high level in white water rafting – we caught up with her after a successful 2021 race series and with exciting news for 2022 !
Can you let me know how long you have been stand up paddleboarding – did you enjoy it straight away ? I first had a go on a SUP in the summer of 2017 ; I was cross-training for white water rafting , I had a lot of training to do for the upcoming white water rafting competitions , and I couldn ’ t always paddle with my teammates , so I just found a way to train the right muscles on my own . I found that I then really fell in love with SUP and wanted to do more . I moved to Wales in October 2017 and found out that there was a bit of a training scene going on there already , and I started to go training with Kerry Baker and Sarah Perkins ; they lent me kit until I could buy my own which was amazing . I took part in a race that October , which might have been where I first got introduced to Kerry , Ginnie and Sarah , and everything went from there . We started paddling regularly together , and I slowly got the feel of SUP . I loved working hard fitness-wise , so I think racing was always going to be right up my street .
What other sports have you done ? I have had a go at many sports ; I was fortunate growing up that I had the opportunity to find what I enjoyed . I did athletics , hockey and netball at school . Outside of school , swimming , running , kayaking , sailing and windsurfing for a while before sticking with canoe and kayak .
I also did a lot of horse riding and had a go at polo , seriously just for fun though , I was terrible at it ! I did enjoy pony club triathlon and tetrathlon , though . Tetrathlon is based on modern pentathlon , so you shoot rather than cycle and without the fencing . Later as an adult , I took up Triathlon – the standard swim / run / cycle for a while , and that was great fun .
In more recent years , SUP has been my main focus ; I love to run and bike for SUP fitness , but I love being on the water too ; I am a water baby !
Which of those sports have you competed in ? I competed in all the school athletics and cross-country races , sometimes not out of choice though , you know what it ' s like being a teenager ! I did enjoy them all though and probably sparked some sporting ambition . I competed in the pony club triathlon and tetrathlon for quite a while , beginning my learning race preparation . I competed in other horsey things like dressage and one-day events during that time .
I then competed in triathlon for a while , but I found it hard to sustain funding for it when I was in my early 20s and working in the outdoor industry . I had some great times though ; I learned to follow training plans to organise my time , and I got to travel to a couple of great countries for comps .
Once I started white water rafting and got into the racing , there were many opportunities for travel as the races were often twice a year internationally and then a couple of home races . I competed in my first raft race abroad in Trnavka in CZ and in 2012 in Lipno in CZ – my first Euro Champs . To this day , that event and the river in Lipno is one of my favourite memories .
I have just been SUP racing in more recent times , but that ' s enough for me ; I love it ! It ’ s great fun to train for , and I enjoy the process . There are many opportunities to race in the UK alone that the year can be booked out with weekends racing away .