PADDLER 96
PADDLER 96
move . Every flat water cartwheel and loop that she did was met with much delight by her group and bystanders on the bank . Many women remarked how inspiring they had found both the session and Becky / Sophie , which was lovely to hear !
Other workshops with other coaches were also taking place , and it was wonderful to see so many engaged groups . The care and genuine passion shown by each of the coaches were inspirational , and it was wonderful to witness that , so I thank all the brilliant coaches involved for letting me observe them !
After lunch , there was another mass paddle along the river . This time , the group paddled the Mountsorrel loop , which is an 8km loop longer than the day before . Luckily , the weather continued to be gloriously sunny . And with that , the EM ShePaddles weekend came to an end ! Lots of happy paddlers , increased skills and confidence , and new paddling friends made – a fabulous weekend on the water .
THANK YOU
There are so many people to thank who this weekend would not have happened without . Starting with the brilliant volunteers at the EM regional development team who came up with the idea to run this weekend in the first place and made it happen .
Thank you to all those involved in the running of the weekend . The level of care , passion , patience and joy in the coaches who ran the workshops was inspiring – getting people to leave their comfort zones and support them to achieve their goals in such a skill . I was blown away by the talent of the coaches this weekend and left feeling inspired as I pursue my coaching journey ! Big thank you to those involved in setting up the BBQ and general organisation of the weekend . Claire , Andy , Katy , Kat , Steve , Emma , Tabitha , Jenna , Penny , Sam , Becky and Sophie . You are all awesome !
Thank you to all the clubs and individuals who loaned equipment and gear for the weekend . Jake from Flow Kayaks for sorting out a van shop . McConks for loaning the paddleboards . Hinckley , PaddlePlus , Leicester Outdoor Pursuits , Holme Pierrepont , and Lincoln canoe clubs for a whole range of equipment . British Canoeing for the stickers and biosecurity packs .
Finally , a massive thank you to all those who attended ! I had many lovely experiences and conversations with different paddlers over the weekend . Everyone I met was supportive and positive towards each other , emphasising celebrating each other ’ s successes . Thanks for being such a fabulous bunch of women – hopefully , I ’ ll see everyone on the water soon !