OTTAWA, ONTARIO (August 2, 2017) – She’s trading her paddle for a laptop computer. Former sprint canoe national champion, Joannie Verret, is returning to Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) as the new Communications Coordinator, effective August 18th, 2017.
Verret is the two-time defending National Champion in the C-2 200m and was a three-time gold medalist at the 2012 Championships in the C-2 500m and 1000m events, and as part of the winning C-4 500m crew.
Exactly five years later, she’ll be back at the National Championships, but this time in an entirely different role.
“For more than 15 years, I’ve been immersed in the world of sprint canoe and kayak, competing with different clubs around Quebec and with the National Team in women’s canoe,” said Verret. “I literally grew up through my experiences in the sport and I look forward to giving back through this new role with Canoe Kayak Canada. I’m delighted to be joining CKC as the new Communications Coordinator and I can’t wait to get started!”
While Verret officially starts in her new role at this year’s National Championships, she’ll be in Winnipeg next week to help promote the sprint events at the Canada Summer Games.
“I raced for Team Quebec at the last Canada Games in Sherbrooke (2013), so I’m excited to be going back to the Games, this time to help promote the rising stars in our sport,” she said.
Beyond her obvious knowledge of the sport, Verret brings impressive professional and academic credentials. She has a Bachelor of Public Communication degree from L’Université Laval, which included a 6-month term at the Artevelde Hodgeschool University College in Gent, Belgium.
“This is such a great fit in so many ways,” said Casey Wade, CKC’s Chief Executive Officer. “She shares our passion for paddling and knows our sport inside and out. Beyond that, she’s got the skills and experience we’re looking for to elevate the profile of the sport going forward.”
Fluently bilingual, she brings recent experience as a coach with a unique team-building program called H2o Playground, which is centred on dragon boat racing. As a videographer and copywriter, Verret has created advertising campaigns for a range of clients, and served as Technical Director for the 2016 Quebec City Student Film Festival, hosted by L’Université Laval. Since 2013, she has contributed to the Club de canoë kayak de Lac Beauport as Head Coach for the U11 program and as the social media and communications coordinator.
About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that 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:
Casey Wade
Chief Executive Officer
(O) 613.260.1818 ext. 2203