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I’m a massive fan of the new award for numerous reasons. From a local
point of view, and from an educational point of view, it’s brilliant. We have
students on the Outdoor Adventure course for two years, and the Paddle Sport
Leaders award fits really well alongside the modules in leadership, bush craft
and managing equipment. However the real highlight is the expedition the
students have to complete at the end of the course (see below on the Source to
Sea expedition). It’s almost as if the award was written to fit the course.
In previous years, our students have cycled
from one side of the country to the other, led a
seven day NO COMFORT expedition in Scotland
and kayaked Slovenia with an MTB transfer to
make it work. This year I thought it might be
interesting to push them even further, whilst
also going much less far geographically.
So we decided - as a team - to undertake an
expedition right across our county and into the
next on stand up paddleboards and sea kayaks.
A truly great paddle, which would not only show
the students how far they’ve come, but also
remind them how close both opportunity and
enjoyment really are. At the same time we could
showcase the new Paddlesport Leaders award.
The first stretch of our adventure was via stand up
paddleboard, taking in 60 miles of winding, glorious
river all the way from EVAC to Norwich city centre.
Not only would this act as the perfect introduction for
what was expected from the new Paddlesports Leader
award, but it’s also the perfect way for our team to
find their rhythm. With spirits high, the sun on our
faces, and some semi-passable singing from our lips,
the whole team were fully in adventure-mode, and the
miles passed before we’d even realised it.
High spirits all the way to Cantley
As a veteran of these adventures, I’ve quickly
learned that you truly know when everyone is
totally into what they’re doing when they’re up,
packed and ready to go earlier than planned. Today
was one of those days. So, at 6.17am, our team
was already leaving Norwich city centre coast
bound on the river Yare by SUP, having left our
sea kayaks at Norwich Cathedral. It’s a beautiful
morning, and the people who opened their
curtains to find our fleet of floating serenaders
paddling past their riverside windows smile and
wave as we glide by like the happiest of families.
After another glorious day of paddling slips past as
if it’s the easiest thing in the world, we set up camp
at Cantley. Once again the entire team swung into
action, each student supporting every other to ensure
our little community stays happy, warm and fed.
>>
Adam Williams is a British Canoeing
Paddlesport Leader provider and has spent the
last 12 years leading the Outdoor Adventure
course at City College Norwich. A keen paddler,
Adam fell in love with the sport at the age
of eight and since then has raced K1 and K2,
paddled with the GB Freestyle Team, led open
canoe expeditions, been heavily involved
with clubs and competitions; and over the
past three years has been working on the
development of Stand Up Paddleboarding and
Sea Kayaking.
Paddleboarding to the fine city of Norwich
Adam shares highlights from a recent trip with his students -
a 158 mile source to sea (and back) multi craft expedition to
kick start the Paddlesport Leader Award.
We used SUP’s, sea kayaks/ touring kayaks and
canoes in the course of the expedition. This was to
highlight ALL aspects of the skills in the award, from
leadership, to navigation, and the multitude of craft
and other skills beyond the basic paddle skills.
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