SCA 'Fit for Girls' Team Announced
Meet the 11 inspirational girls who are part of the new 'Fit for Girls' team!
We are excited to announce the new SCA Fit for Girls programme - 11 inspirational girls from across Scotland who are passionate about paddlesport and keen to share this passion to inspire other girls to get involved. They start a 2-year programme delivered in partnership with sportscotland. The main aim of the programme is for the girls to encourage more girls their age to take part in paddlesport at their own club/centre.
Meet the team below!
Sophie:
I have been kayaking since I was young as my dad enjoys it himself. In past years I have paddled on and off during the summer, and the last two years I’ve started to try some white-water kayaking enjoying sections of the river Tay, Clyde and Teith. I have also been trying some surf kayaking. I do this with my dad, Edinburgh kayak club and the volunteers with the Scouts.
Since April I have been volunteering with the Scouts Active Support Base at Pinkston Watersports on a weekly basis, helping to run introduction kayak sessions to Cubs, Scouts and Explorers from across the Clyde region. Being on the water makes me happy and I find it exhilarating. Kayaking on a Tuesday night means I don’t have to wait until the weekend and I like sharing it with other young people who haven’t had the chance to kayak before.
The paddlesport community feels quite small to me, within this, women and girls participating is an even smaller group. I think the first step is to give girls the chance to try it, as many haven’t had the chance and they might enjoy it if they’re given the ability to try it. From my experience teenage girls find it harder to try new sports when teenage boys are around so girl focused opportunities would be good.
Eilidh:
I’ve been kayaking for 4 years now and developing my skills and confidence in this time. I enjoy kayaking and find it to be a fun way to get outdoors and be active. I now kayak weekly with my club on the local loch in a sheltered water environment, along with some white water kayaking during weekend trips.
I love kayaking because it allows me to meet new people that share similar interests to me, and I get to explore places that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to get to and experience in the same way (like when I kayaked with icebergs on a glacial lake in New Zealand). I also like challenging myself to improve and boost my confidence when kayaking, especially on white water rapids.
One thing I think that many girls would benefit from is seeing more female role models in paddlesports because if they paddle with mostly boys, seeing another girl who has done all this in paddlesports and achieved things then it shows what they can do to and there are more girls that paddle, this is definitely something that has helped me.
Ava R.:
Last September I started slalom kayaking with the Pinkston Panthers after enjoying sea kayaking on holidays. Since September I have even taken part in Women’s K1 competitions, been to women’s C1W Academy events and now have competed in C2 mixed competition with one of my friends from Pinkston.
I absolutely love kayaking and paddling because it has made me more confident and it has put me out of my comfort zone, plus I have made such good friends.
My dream since I was a little girl is to compete in the Olympics as a kayaker. I hope one day I can achieve that goal and inspire others but I think the best way for me to inspire other girls is to get good enough to coach. I’ve had so many encouraging coaches over the last year and I would love to help others the same way they helped me.
Maree:
I am passionate about kayaking and although this year was my first year out on the sea, I've been in going to the pool sessions run by the Pentland Canoe Club since 2021. I love the opportunities kayaking provides like travelling and exploring as well as just the feeling of being out in the boats.
Paddlesport can improve for girls in a few different ways. From what I've seen kayaking in Caithness, the biggest improvement that can be made is increasing opportunities like courses, expeditions and trips throughout more remote parts Scotland. If this happened with a focus on local groups (especially outside of the central belt) and the youth members within, then the reduced travel and increased opportunities for each age would be bound to get more people involved and able to learn new and different things.
Eleanor:
This summer Eleanor has been volunteering with Outfit Moray, a local outdoor charity who believe she would be a great ambassador for young girls and outdoor sports. Eleanor already regularly champions outdoor water sports within her school and peer groups.
Eleanor is keen to promote the girls only paddlesport sessions that are on offer with Outfit Moray and try to get local clubs and schools to participate and fundraise to get more opportunities into the local community.
Jessica:
I’m currently a member of Kirkwall Kayak Club and have been kayaking for 5 years. Over the last 6 months I have been given the opportunity to help our coaches at our Junior/Beginner Sessions as a type of apprentice coach. With the support of the qualified coaches, I am gaining an insight into what a coach does. I have a strong passion for helping others and I’m delighted that I can help them develop their confidence and skills in a kayak.
I love being out on the water, exploring the Orkney coastline from a kayak. It's relaxing, stress-free and great for your mental health. It’s also a great way to exercise and enjoy the wonders of nature.
Emma:
I paddle canoe slalom and have done so for many years. I am a member of CR Cats Canoe Club and with them I train in kayak and canoe. I am also a member of the C1W Academy.
I am passionate about paddling because it is a place where I can escape and feel empowered and free. I love training 3 times a week, sometimes more. I also love coaching other people in canoe slalom and gaining more experience and confidence on different water. I enjoy coaching because I get to see people smile when they have achieved something new, even when they may have doubted themselves at the start.
I would love to be involved with promoting paddlesport in Scotland to make girls more aware of paddling and what it can do, by doing presentations at local schools, clubs and councils.
Ava B.:
I love being on the water at much as possible, exploring the life and features it has to offer as well as meeting people who are part of the community of paddlesports. In the future I hope to explore more places, meet new people and improve my personal skills with hopes to do my Sea Kayak Leader and Coach awards next year so that I can continue to share my love of paddling with others.
I would like to encourage different girls (and females who started young) to share their stories about paddling to show that you can start young. I also think that the existing young female paddlers should try and connect with each other to become a welcoming and supportive group to help attract more people.
Thea:
Hi, I am Thea and I'm a part of Breadalbane Canoe Club. I do C1 (I started through the C1 Women Academy part of Slalom Inspires) and K1 and my home course is Grandtully. This year I've competed in lots of races and for the first time went on three pumps at Pinkston. I did two races and the second one was amazing I couldn't believe I had got all the gates. I think the best trip I have ever done was when all the Scottish slalom paddlers went to France I made lots of new pals there. I have made so much progress and now my dream is to qualify for the Olympics and medal. I love the sport and hope to coach people when I'm older and I would love to help more girls get into the sport.
Kate:
My first experience of paddle sports was at Willowgate Activity Centre were I did a kayak tester session because I wanted to gain confidence for a school trip that was coming up. This led to me joining the kayak club I met some awesome people including one other girl. Everyone at Willowgate made me feel welcome and were not judgemental in anyway. This became my safe place and I soon started volunteering helping with kit and cleaning up.
Over the years not only did I develop more skills, I also became part of the Willowgate “family”. The team at Willowgate saw the potentional in me and kindly put me through my FSRT and my PSI course. I was the first female to complete my SUP Instructor Course in Scotland. I now volunteer at Willowgate as an assistant instructor and plan on becoming a full time instructor when I turn 18.
Paddling is a great way to have fun and experience new things. It’s also how I’ve made lots of friends and met new people. The feeling of being on the water makes me happy & excited.
I hope to support and inspire other girls to paddle by changing language to make paddlesport more inclusive, having more female course leaders and making sure paddling posters etc. have females on them.
Ava D.:
I'm a member of Pentland Canoe Club based in Thurso. I've been surfing and paddleboarding since I was young and kayaking for the last 2 years. I love paddlesport because I love to explore our amazing coast. I get to explore sea caves, see wildlife and even meet new friends.
I want to help get more girls my age involved in paddlesport by showing them how much fun it can be and what all you can achieve if you just set your mind to it.
I think paddlesport in Scotland could be improved for girls. I am one of 3 girls in my local club. We need to advocate for girls and show them that this isn't just a sport for men, we can do this too - we can do anything that men can do, and even better! I am an extreme believer of girls supporting girls.
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