Did you know that whitewater kayaking is the most male dominated paddle sport? In 2019, women made up 36% of the whitewater kayaking community. This percentage has remained relatively stagnant with a 1.3% increase over 6 years. These stats make it even more important to highlight all the badass women already killing it in the sport. Below, we’ve put together a non-comprehensive list of trailblazing women who are very accomplished in their own respects, and who have inspired a large majority of us to push our limits when it comes to whitewater kayaking.
Anna Levesque, USA/CAN
Anna is an adventure coach, yoga enthusiast, author, producer, and kayak lover. After competing in 12 countries across 5 continents, she has so much experience and wisdom to share with us all. She created ‘Mind-Body-Paddle’, which encourages ladies “to live what is important to them through mind, body and adventure coaching”. She is also the creator of the first-ever women only kayaking instruction program, ‘Girls at Play’. Because of her passion, Anna has taught so many women and girls how to love kayaking in a holistic way.
Ashley McEwan, USA
Inspirational kayakers need not be extreme or crowned champions to have great positive impact. Ashley inspires the women who want to enjoy the glories of whitewater in a low- impact way. Ashley is 2nd generation director of kayak school, Liquid Adventures in Bethesda Maryland. She is driven, supportive and full of stoke for the whitewater community. You rock Ashley!
Claudia Kerckhoff-Van Wijk, CAN
Claudia Kerckhoff-Van Wijkheld the Canadian Women’s champion in whitewater slalom kayaking for ten years, from 1974 – 1985. She also holds a place in the top 10 kayakers in the World from 1976-1985, with a bronze medal at the 1982 World Championships. She is a strong leader and is the co-owner of Madawaska Kanu Centre and OWL Rafting, a raft resort along the Ottawa River.
Emily Jackson, CAN/USA
Emily is a multiple World Freestyle Kayak Champion with an impressive array of achievements beyond freestyle kayaking as well. Emily’s surfing skills go without saying, but it’s her enthusiasm and support for others that will go down in history. #nocompromise.
Haley Daniels
The amazing Haley Daniels first paddled whitewater at age 6 and started to compete at age 12. She fell in love with the “rush of whitewater and the competitive nature of the sport.” Since 2009, she has represented Canada on the international stage. Ever since her parent came out as a trans woman, she has missioned to use her platform and spread awareness and support for the LGBTQ+ community
Jen Gratto, CAN
Jennifer Gratto competed for 8 years on the Canadian National Kayak team. During her hiatus from competing, she pursued outdoor education, founding Down to Earth Kayak School & Outdoor Adventure in 2000, leading many into the sport at a young age! She is now the Slalom Programs Manager for Whitewater Ontario. We are excited to have her back at MKC this summer facilitating a youth slalom training camp in July.
Jessica Fox, AUS
At just 28 years old Jessica is an Olympic Champion at the 2020 Games in C1. As well as a renowned slalom kayaker in world championship history. Her lengthy list of sixteen medals at ICF slalom World champs coincide with her love for animals- she currently nurtures a greyhound at home and expresses that “It’s nice to have those moments to just slow down and be present – and have a cuddle as well. It’s helping with the stress of competitions.” Very relatable!
Katrina Van Wijk, CAN
Katrina is known as one of Canada’s top whitewater kayakers. She is a third-generation kayak champion. In 2012, Katrina founded TiTsDeep, “a hub for women in extreme sports to connect and be empowered. In the male-dominated world of extreme sports, Van Wijk is a rarity. Something she’s fighting to change. TiTS Deep is about getting out there and getting deep into whatever sport is yours; getting deep into the snow, the dirt, or the water.” Now, went she’s not adventuring in the Kooteney Mountains, she’s teaching the next generation of kayak instructors all over Canada, including here at MKC every Spring!
Laura Farrell, USA
Laura is an instructor, avid mountain biker, lover of the great outdoors, skier, kayaker… and the list goes on. In her early days after high school, she was a whitewater raft guide, and competed in kayaking competitions. Laura’s adventurous spirit and years of experience make her an awesome instructor and great guide in the kayaking community. Laura is one of the main organizers of the Green River Takeover, where, since 2014, hundreds of women kayakers, of all skill levels take over the Green River in South Carolina.
Linda Harrison, USA
Competing at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in 1977, 79, and 81, Linda broke the barrier for women as she showed us we could paddle as good as a man. Linda organized women’s training camps, and a newsletter for women athletes to communicate during the off-season. At Madawaska Kanu Centre she started our first Women’s Week, which we continue to run today. We have her smile surfing Gravelpit photo in the MKC archives and on the dining room wall.
Louise Jull, NZ
Louise was a great friend to so many paddlers, reminding us to become our full selves. She brought so many people into this sport teaching and coaching kayaking at the Madawaska Kanu Centre, in New Zealand and around the world. Whether it was freestyle, extreme racing, or slalom, Lulu always raised the bar. We miss her always. We love you, Lulu.
Maria Noakes, NZ/ USA
Maria was an astounding kayaker and inspired many to get on the river. She lived every moment to the fullest and passionately journeyed the river with her brave and adventurous spirit. Her contributions to the whitewater community will always be remembered. She was truly a beautiful soul, close friend and supportive adventure mama. #livelikemaria
Nicole Mansfield, USA
Buffalo N.Y is where Nicole was first introduced to whitewater kayaking. Since 2005, she’s been working internationally and in various locations in the U.S enjoying the great outdoors via whitewater kayaking and skiing. Her warm spirit is unforgettable and her love for all things whitewater is contagious.
Nouria Newman, FR
Nouria is famous for her kayaking excellence. She is an Ottawa XL champion, crowned extreme kayaking world champion, ICF Canoe Slalom (Kayaking) World Championship gold medalist… and the list goes on! As shown in her feature length film, she is the first woman to run a 100+ foot (30 m) waterfall. She has achieved awesome titles yet remains humble and focused…. We love you Nouria!
Sheryl Boyle, CAN
Born in Renfrew, Ontario, Sheryl first started kayaking at Madawaska Kanu Centre while working on our kitchen team! She competed on Canada’s Slalom Team from the late 1980s- 1990s. Competing in 2 Summer Olympics, she came in an impressive 22nd within the K-1 event in Barcelona in 1992. She is a gem and a force to be reckoned with, famously known by her statement during her first week of kayaking, “I like your National Team helmet, Claudia. Soon I will have one of those.”
Stef McArdle-MacDiarmid, CAN
Stef has been a whitewater guide and instructor for many different companies over many years. Stef is now managing Black Feather, the Wilderness Adventure Company. She brings everyone around her up, as she’ll never settle for, well, good enough.
Tanya Faux, AUS
Tanya’s goal to paddle every river in the world led her to become a well-known professional athlete! With a Freestyle Championship medal under her belt, Tanya inspires so many young paddlers to train hard to do what they love. She wears her pride on one shoulder, and her passion for kayaking on the other.
Thea Froelich, CAN
With over 9 years of racing and training on the river, Thea has decided to share her passion for kayaking through teaching and instructing. She is a Canadian slalom team athlete, coach, instructor, and now teacher with World Class. But it’s her humor that’ll really get ya.
Women’s Whitewater Kayaking & Canoeing Courses
One of our goals at Madawaska Kanu Centre is to help more women find their river smile and show them how exciting it is to navigate whitewater; that’s why we started our Women’s Week & Women’s Weekend programs. These programs help link women with similar values & interests to push each other and communicate on a deeper level. Cis-women, trans-women and non-binary folks are all welcome!
There was no way to include even to close to all the amazing women in whitewater. so, if you’re not on this list, you’re still awesome.
Please let us know who has inspired you and we’ll add them to our list!
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Sources:
- • Photo by Marko Balažic on Unsplash
- • Nouria Newman – Photo credit: David Arnaud/Red Bull Content Pool
- • 2019 Special Report on Paddlesports & Safety: https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/NASBLA/76594a34-f3a1-4916-95ac-1e9c872170cc/UploadedImages/19_OIA_005_ACA_Paddle_Report_final.pdf
- • https://www.canadianicons.ca/collections/canoe
- • https://www.raftmw.com/history-of-whitewater-paddling-mountain-whitewater/
- • https://www.drybags.com/the-origins-of-whitewater-kayaking-a-timeline-2/
- • https://www.canoeicf.com/disciplines/canoe-slalom#:~:text=The%20first%20Slalom%20World%20Championships,categories%20contested%20annually%20since%202012.
- • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman
- • https://issuu.com/ottawaoutdoors/docs/issue__10_-_ottawa_outdoors/s/10608625
