OTTAWA, ONTARIO (January 6, 2020) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is delighted to announce that Kalob Grady has been confirmed by the CKC Freestyle Committee as the Freestyle Head Coach.

Hailing from Lapasse, Ontario in the Ottawa Valley, Kalob started kayaking when he was 9 and competing when he was 13. In 2010 he won Junior Freestyle Nationals, placed 3rd at the Pan American Junior Championships and placed 6th the following year at the ICF Junior World Championships. That kick started his competitive kayaking career, which has continued to grow year after year. He was especially pleased to place 6th at the 2015 ICF World Championships in front of the hometown crowd on the Ottawa River.

Kalob has been coaching with the Ottawa Kayak School since 2011, as well as contributing to youth kayak development through the Teen Development Keeners Program. Building on his strengths of working with youth, both on and off the water, Kalob took on the position of Head Coach for World Class Kayak Academy in 2017.

Kalob is also recognized for his work as part of the SEND team, who have been pushing the boundaries of whitewater kayaking competitions for the past three years. His passion for the sport of kayaking shows through in everything he does.

“We’re delighted to have Kalob join us to help develop a strong and diverse competitive Freestyle Kayaking program in Canada,” said Lee Vincent, Chair of the CKC Freestyle Committee. “He is a well-respected paddler in his own right, with extensive international competition experience. That knowledge, partnered with his ability to inspire and motivate other paddlers, will help us grow the strength and skills of the national team and next generation athletes.

CKC Freestyle will be working with partners in Alberta and Ontario to host athlete development camps in July, as well as a camp in August leading up to National Team Trials in Minden on August 23rd. Please follow our Facebook page for more details.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) 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

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Maryn Sommerfeldt

Communications Assistant

intern@canoekayak.ca