OTTAWA, ON (October 7, 2016) – Canoe Kayak Canada is pleased to partner with the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic (CSCA) and the Atlantic Division CanoeKayak Canada (ADCKC) to develop a world-leading training environment for its National Women’s Kayak program.
A National Team coach will be dedicated to the centre, located in Nova Scotia. Through partnerships with local clubs and the ADCKC, the athletes will have access to ideal on and off-water training environments. Other resources including equipment, housing options, sport performance services and support for special projects will also be allocated to the centre.
“Since we officially designated four National Team Training Centres in 2014, we’ve been working to provide environments for our fastest athletes to train together with support from National Team coaches and sport science staff,” said Canoe Kayak Canada’s Chief Executive Officer, Casey Wade. “We were proud to have four female kayakers on the Olympic Team this year. The creation of this centre, through our partnership with the CSCA and ADCKC, is part of developing a system to ensure our Women’s Kayak team will be successful internationally for years to come.”
National Team Training Centres are designed to bring training groups, National Team coaches and technical experts together along with adequate training infrastructure to ensure the highest quality daily training environment for podium potential athletes.
The Women’s Kayak team will join over 50 other national team athletes from various sports who use the CSCA as their home base.
“The Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic looks forward to working with the ADCKC, CKC and the new coach to create an environment for repeatable success on the international stage,” said Ken Bagnell, President of the CSCA. “Canoe Kayak is one of the most successful sports in Canadian Olympic history and we are honoured to have the opportunity to partner to support the next generation of performers.”
Nova Scotia has a long history of success in the sport and the ADCKC will play an integral role in creating the daily training environment the Women’s Kayak team needs to excel.
“The ADCKC has a rich history both in producing elite athletes and providing the critical infrastructure required to best support them,” said Paul Dean, Flag Officer of the ADCKC. “This includes an off-water weight training centre, boat storage and access to our world class, nine-lane International Canoe Federation race-course, complete with the ability to install start gates. We are thrilled to continue this tradition and are excited to officially add the Women’s Kayak National Team, and coach, to our roster of national team athletes already accessing our top-notch training environment.”
In addition to the two local partners, the centre and Canoe Kayak Canada’s High Performance Program are generously supported by Sport Canada, Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee.
The search for a host for the Women’s Kayak National Team Training Centre began with a call for expressions of interest in April. Submissions from interested hosts were evaluated according to a framework looking at critical factors for success.
About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. Canoe Kayak Canada has been one of Canada’s top performing summer sports having won an impressive count of 24 Olympic medals. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization which includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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For more information:
Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, Canoe Kayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca