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JOURNEYS INTO SUP RACING
WITH SUP JUNKIE , SARAH THORNELY
Words by Sarah Thornely ( SUP Junkie )
Following on from my piece “ Have you heard about SUP racing ”, I thought I would highlight three women who have caught the racing bug to showcase the transition from leisure paddler to SUP racer . www . britishcanoeing . org . uk
Sarah Perkins
Sarah was a sporty kid before “ a wonky shoulder and wonky knee ” put paid to climbing and running . She found SUP by accident at a demo and all she remembers is someone shouting at her from the beach that she had the paddle round the wrong way – we ’ ve all been there , right ?
She loves paddleboarding as it ’ s very accessible with low-tech gear and also low impact on the body . We are also an island nation with many , many waterways so no shortage of places to paddle .
Sarah fell in love with SUP surfing first and is now obsessed with the surf report and gets out as much as she can . Fearful of competition , her first was in windsurfing where she “ whinged and moaned because I was terrified of taking part in a competition ! I took the plunge and had great fun . There was a good crowd , fab after-party and , importantly , it made me realise that competition is not just for pros or elite athletes .”
As soon as she got into SUP the idea of entering a race seemed like the logical thing to do to bring on her skills and fitness . She started in 2017 by entering Naish One Design comps , where everyone races on exactly the same board type . There she met “ the nicest group of people , who are all still firm friends .”
Now , she attends as many national races as she can , and last year entered an international competition where at the age of 50 , won a bronze and silver medal . Not bad for a girl who was scared to compete !
Karen Greener
Karen from Durham started when her partner Bruce took her on a date to a local river , handed her a wetsuit and a Nisco board and said let ’ s see how you do it ! A couple of days later she joined her local Club , the Northern SUP Race Team , on a casual afternoon paddle with the promise of a bacon butty . She became hooked .
Karen had been an active woman with running and strength training being her passions until a knee injury stopped her competing in half marathons and running events . She believes paddleboarding is like running on water only better .
“ The more I paddled , the more I felt I rediscovered my old running self – paddling reignited my love of fitness and exercise .”
So , a few weeks after discovering SUP , Karen entered the Naish One Design race in Emsworth and her fear of racing was very real . I remember meeting Karen on that day and encouraging her to just “ have a go ” – nerves and tears later turned into beaming smiles and she came away hungry for more . That ’ s all to do with the incredibly supportive community . Coming up for her 55th birthday , Karen feels fitter and stronger than ever and SUP has helped her through grief and keeps her head clear and heart happy . She has also won many medals and has been a National Champion with the GBSUP National Series .