The PaddlerUK magazine March 2015 issue 1 | Page 58

ThePaddler 58

F

irstly, where was your first paddle?
The River Ure - Sleningford Watermill, Ripon

…and where was your first
descent?
I can’t remember, probably the Washburn.

What got you hooked on white
water kayaking?
The freedom and the challenge.

Only early doors but what is the
biggest accomplishment of your
career so far?
There have been a few biggies but probably my
second Sickline title. After I won the first time around
a few people were giving me chat about getting lucky,
so it was nice to show them!

What would be your ultimate
achievement?
To make a living out of kayaking. It would be beauty
to be able to devote 100% of my time to kayaking.

Can you describe the feeling of
winning the adidas Sickline Extreme
Kayak World Championship?
It was a huge buzz! We got a big apartment with a
super good crew, so there was a beauty atmosphere
all week and when I won it just amped everyone up. It
was mint to be able to share the experience with
everyone!

I was born in the greatest city in the north of England/possibly the world: Leeds. I grew up just
outside the city in a pretty suburban setting with my mum, dad and older sister. I was well into
MTB and rode my bike everyday until one day aged 11, I said to my dad, I want to go
kayaking… So, we went kayaking. Dad got involved too and we did the weekly pool session
with West Yorkshire Canoe Club in Wakefield. I got into the slalom side and trained at
Bradford and Bingley Canoe Club. Once I’d finished school I moved down to Nottingham to
train full-time at Holme Pierrepont. I perused slalom and paddled white water a bit on the
side until 2012, where afterwards I packed in the slalom, did a ski season in France and
cracked on with the white water scene.