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Upcoming Events:
April 10th - 11th - Rich Weiss Memorial Race - http://canoekayakbc.sportical.com/events/371
April 10th - 11th - Masters Training Camp - http://canoekayakbc.sportical.com/events/376
April 10th - BC Spring Long Distance Championships (EGGATTA)/ICF Marathon Qualifier - http://canoekayakbc.sportical.com/events/386
April 16th - 18th - Entry Level Competitive Coach (marathon and sprint modules) - Fort Langley
April 23rd - May 2nd - CanoeKayak Canada Celebrates National Coaches week. Visit the events page for activites during this time. This is a great opportunity to have your summer program coaches trained!
Tonight's the Night
Members of CanoeKayak BC will be gathering at the River Rock Casino this evening. Kurt Raynor (Nanaimo) will be receiving the Sport BC President's Award and Nicole Haywood (Nanaimo) is one of three finalists for the Senior Female Athlete of the Year. Congratulations to both of you!
Our athletes share their Paralympic Experience
Amanda - Being a delegate to represent Canada at the opening ceramonies for the Paralympic Games was an amazing experience, I will never forget the way it felt when I walked into BC Place stadium leading in the paralympic athletes from Spain. Being an athlete myself I have a great deal of respect for the athletes, coaches and other personal that travel with them and help them to compete. It was an experience I will never forget and I'm glad that I was presented with this wonderful opportunity.
Clara - Getting to carry team Russias plaquard was a wonderful experience. I got to meet the 50 person team two hours before showtime. While we waited, the Russian competitors and I posed together for team photos. As the parade of athletes began, the Russian team followed the Romanians through the backstage hallway. The other preformers cheered as the athletes went by, creating a build up of excitment. When we finaly came out onto the stage, the whole stadium was cheering. The crowd of pompom waving school kids made a pathway for us and behind me the athletes waved their flags with pride.
Now of course my biggest cheers go to team Canada, but right now the Russians are looking pretty good......
Sean - Leading world class athletes out onto a stage in front of 60,000 screaming spectators seems like something out of a dream. Something so unimaginable that I sometimes have troubles believing that I actually did it. This was my experience as a 2010 Paralympic Games placard bearer for the Opening Ceremonies.
This dream slowly became a reality through the long process of applying for the position, getting the position, going to fitting for the costumes and three full days of rehearsal before the big show. Although missing school for long and boring rehearsals was disconcerting (being the worrier that I am), this experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it filled all my expectations and so much more. I was alloted the position of the placard bearer for the Islamic Republic of Iran. I did not know what to expect and to be honest I was a little nervous about the language barrier that would be between us when I finally got to meet the athletes. When the time finally came for the athletes to arrive at the stadium I was pleasantly surprised by their good english. I was able to talk with them for a good hour or so before it was time to head out onto the stage. It was really amazing and a
neat experience to be able to talk to athletes from the other side of the planet. It was also really nice to see that they were just as excited about being here in Vancouver as I was about my placard bearer responsibilities. Before we were prompted to march out onto stage, one of the athletes 'thanked' me and presented me with a little keepsake, a Team Iran Paralympic pin. Although this would be just a little piece of metal to most, I found it to be an extremely gracious gesture and is something I will keep forever.
This experience was so much more than being able to brag to my friends about it or getting the opportunity to have my family from all across the country/world see me on TV. It was having the opportunity to be surrounded by world class athletes and amazing volunteers, but most of all it was getting to be a part of something special and something Vancouver, Canada and the rest of the world will surely remember for a long time.
CKBC is visiting Nelson
Mary Jane Abbott and Jaden Langford will be visiting Nelson Canoe Club over the weekend of May 21-24. While there they will be delivering a CanoeKids Course (http://canoekayakbc.sportical.com/events/398) and a club development workshop (http://canoekayakbc.sportical.com/events/399) Those interested in attending are encouraged to register for either of these opportunites on our EVENTS page so we can communicate updates directly.
Sprint rule changes that were approved at the 2009 AGM are summarized in the link above. This is a MUST READ for all sprint athletes, coaches and parents!
Coaches/Assistant Coaches have been assigned to each of the 8 zones for the upcoming Games and zones will soon be starting to select their athletes. Once selected be sure to register to attend the 'Guide to the Games' session in your zone. These sessions will answer parent and athlete questions to make sure you are well prepared for the event!
In order for us to provide quality racing programs for our members we must have the support of numerous volunteers to help with officiating. Whether you are new to the sport or have many years of experience we need you all. Please visit our officials sign up page and make sure you have committed in advance for our upcoming events!
Training opportunities will be happening soon!
For a number of years the Pacific Coast Clubs in the US have been trying to get a Collegiate Nationals event off the ground and have met with some success. This year's event is being hosted by the Cascade Canoe Club in Renton, Washington and CKBC has been invited to participate. We have confirmed Elliot Hoyt - SFU (ekh2@sfu.ca) and Michelle Kosaka - UBC (kosaka5.2@hotmail.com) as 'team captains' and are looking for both recruits from these schools and leadership from other BC colleges/universities. If interested in either participating or being a team captain please let us know. This is a great way to stay involved in the sport but not have to make the high performance level commitments!
April 1st marks the start of the new fiscal year and with that membership renewals. Invoices for club renewals have been mailed and paddlers are reminded that if you have not renewed your membership with your club; you should not be on the water! |
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