Blog: 'Canoeing has completely changed my life. Out on the water I am so free'
The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) website features a blog post every Friday through the year.
August's theme is our Active Summer Fun campaign. This week, PaddleAbility Officer from British Canoeing, Clarisse Smith, discusses the accessibility of her sport and the welcoming atmosphere you will be sure to encounter.
Clarisse’s blog:
This is my favourite time of year, because I find room in my schedule to get out and about and visit clubs and centres to see the great work they are all doing.
Driving around the country I also see so many people with canoes on the roofs of their cars, minibuses full of people towing a trailer of boats and people taking advantage of the milder weather to grab some quality time on the water.
What has always struck me about the canoeing community is their enthusiasm about working with disabled people.
Even the smallest of clubs in the most remote community, has a story to tell. It’s often about a club member who has an impairment of some sort and how they have worked with them to ensure that they get the most out of our sport.
This week I have been out with some of my colleagues filming a group who paddle at Engage Water Sports in Maidenhead.
They have teamed up with SportsAble to run sessions for disabled people from around Berkshire and what we saw yesterday was wonderful.
One member of the group said to us:
“I never thought I would be able to go canoeing because I can’t swim. The guys at Engage Water Sports have given me the confidence to get out there and do it.”
Another participant added:
“Canoeing has completely changed my life. When I am out on the water I am so free, and if anything am at an advantage because I am more used to using my arms.”
While it was great to hear these stories, they are by no means unusual. I hear the same thing again and again all over the country.
Our clubs and centres are so good at working with disabled people to adapt their practices they forget to sing about it, in their minds it’s just part of what they do day in and day out.
One of the things that makes canoeing popular among disabled people is that, due to the variety of canoes and kayaks, there is really little need for specialist adaptive equipment. It is easier and less costly to get hold of equipment to suit the individual, and I am always amazed by what coaches achieve with foam and gaffer tape as an interim solution.
So, what do you do if you are thinking of giving canoeing a go?
Contact your local club or centre, tell them a bit about yourself, your needs, your interests and what you would like to achieve, even if it’s just “I want to be able to get into a boat.”
They will then talk through the options with you and probably invite you to their venue to have a more in-depth chat and look at equipment and facilities.
Following that, you may find that your first session is mainly made up of trying and adjusting equipment and finding out about how things work best for you. The key is to be open-minded and flexible.
I will finish with the advice that I overheard one of our members, who is a coach with a visual impairment, giving someone else earlier this year:
“Go for it! You have to give this sport a try, you will never look back!”
