Frome Canoe Club members, Jasmine Wilde, Aimee Collins and Chris Wilde, were selected to compete in the Pan Celtic Cup, a prestigious national slalom event.
This contest is between England, Scotland and Wales and is staged throughout the slalom season, with one leg held in each of the nations. Paddlers compete in different age categories to see which nation eventually becomes the champion.
July saw the England leg take place at the National Watersports Centre near Nottingham, where the course is exciting and challenging. The waves and drops are fit to defy any of the Olympic paddlers.
Jasmine competed in the J12 category, Aimee in the J14 and Chris in the Veterans, all selected because of their high-ranking status in the national league tables.
Aimee said after the race, “I was really happy to be representing my country in this event. Being part of a team is really important to me. It was one of the best experiences I have had in canoeing.” Jasmine agreed adding, “It was a real highlight of my paddling career so far.”
In the words of Chris, the course was tough and testing, and the paddlers from Frome helped England retain the cup for this leg of the competition. The club say it was a real success story for Frome Canoe Club. The final stage of the competition is to be held in Wales in October.
Pictured: Jasmine Wilde, Chris Wilde, and Aimee Collins.
