You could be our next
Paddler Spotlight feature !
The diverse group I am a part of are welcomed and supported , Andy understands you may not have ever done anything like this so gives you support and encouragement and pushes you gently out of your comfort zone . The group has a really positive vibe because of Andy . We have more variety of people from a mixed community enjoying the water activities together and the community are all having a go which is really encouraging .
Keep up the good work Andy , this is an amazing way to get everyone involved from the communities we live in to enjoy a relaxing and fun experience to enjoy the Canal and make them accessible to all .
Words by Ian Cook
Andy is driving the initiative to get more people paddling around Birmingham and make paddling easily accessible for communities that otherwise wouldn ’ t get the chance to .
Previous to being asked if I ’ d like to be trained up as a Paddlesport Instructor I had never been in a kayak on open water . I ’ m now part of Andy ’ s and Canal & River Trust ’ s initiative to get facilities near the canal . This year we had five taster sessions which all filled up really fast .
You may have that fear of going in for a swim but if you ’ re in the right craft and use the instructions given wisely you ’ ll love the experience . The simple fact is that you can find a different viewpoint and some tranquillity right in the heart of your city whilst exercising . Thanks to Shahida , Mohammed and Ian for sharing their experiences with us and helping highlight the great work Andy has been doing in the community .
15
Words by Mohammed Naveed
Andy has enabled through sheer determination and dedication to the sport a massive contribution to allow groups from ethnic backgrounds to try out canoeing , kayaking and bellboating . He has volunteered his time and expertise to show us how to safely enjoy all the waterways in Birmingham and beyond . It has been a fantastic year for me and my family .
We all take part as a family and are in the process of setting up a community initiative with Andy to allow over 300 families to take part in kayaking and bellboating throughout inner city Birmingham . Andy ’ s efforts will be forever cherished and extremely valuable .
If I could give any advice to the paddling community , it would be to be like Andy Train . Speak to him and ask him what he has been doing . It ’ s been absolutely phenomenal and he has single handedly given a tremendous amount of guidance and training for us and our community . We are now avid kayaking enthusiasts and our son is really quite promising on his racing rudder kayak and he only just turned 6-years-old . I am also in the process of gaining my Paddlesport Instructor qualifications to hopefully take out groups on my own in the near future .
We ’ d love to hear all about your paddling journey , experiences and the great work happening in the paddling community . You could be our next Paddler Spotlight feature !
Find out more about the initiative here : www . britishcanoeing . org . uk / news / 2023 / share-your-storiesfor-the-paddler-spotlight
You could be our next
Share your stories and photos with us via our form here : britishcanoeing . formstack . com / forms / paddler _ spotlight _ submission _ form
Paddler Spotlight feature !
Or if you prefer drop us an email at mediaenquiries @ britishcanoeing . org . uk
Canoe Focus Late Summer 2023