CANOE WALES AWARDS 2024

Huw Butterworth - WINNER

"In 2023 Huw managed to fit in more than most people manage in a lifetime! 

2 months in New Zealand kayaking and exploring the North Island including the Kaimais range. Then onto Spring/Early Summer in Norway completing rarely run white water, following on from that was a week or two of rest before flying across to the West Coast of the USA to do as many of the high Serra runs he could fit into a few weeks, racking up an impressive amount of kayaking and hiking with his kayak.

After all the practice of hiking with his kayak he set off to Kyrgyzstan to attempt a 'leave no trace' descent of the legendary SaryJaz river kayaking 100km in some of the most remote terrain/places of the world and hiking over numerous high mountain passes with a kayak to get back to a 'road'. Once landing back in Europe Huw carried on kayaking through to the end of the Alpine season including some lesser paddled rivers in the Jura region of France for some big waterfalls ahead of winter."

Aaron Kendall

"Aaron is putting Wales on the map paddling with the best paddlers in the world on world-famous rivers, as well as regularly running rivers in Wales, He's also instrumental in the River Dee cleanups and other Dee-related activities etc. If you look at his YouTube channel and don't get inspired to get onto a river then you might as well not bother kayaking at all".

Lucy Bowen

"Lucy started Paddling at the age of 9 (2019) her dad was terminally ill with a brain tumour and sadly died in 2020, Lucy has worked so hard to get to where she is and her determination is out of this world. She is also dealing with me, her mum, having a rare heart and lung condition which means I can’t take her to races so have to rely on others to help with her but this never stops her and we are all so proud of her achievements. I think sometimes you can forget what a child has gone through to get where they are and Lucy faces this every day (we don’t know how long I have until I’m unable to help her at all) she just keeps paddling and wants to make her coaches proud. She is in division one in K1 and C1 . She has been in the Welsh team for 2 years now and she is just 13 years old".

Aaron Kendall - WINNER

A super passionate individual in paddlesports working and living on the water. Wherever he goes, and from Aaron’s social media he influences so many other people. To list some of the many things Aaron and Dee Valley Clean Up have done for the community: - Founder of Dee Valley Clean up alongside Rob Hirst and Clive Gibbo. Organising many events throughout the year to make the whole space of the Dee Valley a cleaner space for everyone on and off the water. Aaron is one of the founders of a new charity Dee Valley Clean Up with the view of: A project with community inclusion at its heart and is a community project for anyone passionate about keeping our spaces clean and beautiful for everyone. Water testing for the Dee Valley from tributaries testing for water quality with the aim to source areas of pollution. Creating connections with organisations such as Welsh Dee Clean up, national governing bodies and supporting organisations to make the environment better for everyone. All done on a volunteer basis. Making the river a safer space, and clearing the river of debris such as trees, and metalwork. Aaron has been in the press recently having rescued a paddler on the Dee. This is not the first or second time he has done this and his commitment to the rivers and paddling community is 2nd to none."

Caroline Dawson 

"Is one of the real unsung heroes of the stand-up paddle world, who works tirelessly to support others and champion the good that can be delivered through the means of SUP.

 In 2022 Caroline was appointed the first female Welsh Dee Trust Trustee, and since then has been regularly delivering #itshoudntbeinthedee river cleans with volunteers on the mid and lower sections of the River Dee. During 2023, Caroline and her volunteers removed 1422 pieces of litter from the river. She has used her social media channels to promote the river cleans, written risk assessments and supplied all of the paddle gear - leading by example every time. As a Trustee she has supported the wider promotion of the charity and its work amongst recreational paddlers (recently engaging the Dee Valley Clean Up team), plus has helped identify new funding streams for the Trust in 2024 to support the river cleans".

ShePaddles Cymru Volunteers - WINNERS

"They have made a huge positive impact on Canoe Wales and have been so dedicated to the programme with most of them being there from the very start. They turn up to events and get stuck in, nothing is ever a problem, they look for jobs that need doing and attend events and just get on with it. So many women have benefited from these volunteers with their words of encouragement, support, coaching, infectious laughter, and fun go-get-them attitudes. They have also had fantastic personal growth during their time as volunteers with personal paddling and coaching qualifications."

Steve Wilford

"A club is more than an individual but sometimes, if lucky, an individual joins and decides to get involved and their enthusiasm is contagious and their input prolific and they inspire others to ‘get on board’ and do their bit. Steve is one of those rare human beings. Compassionate and considerate, always thinking of others, humble and modest.  He is usually the first to respond to someone’s query on the club’s forum, platforms and socials with sound advice and guidance, and always on hand to help, organise and coach at the pool or on organised trips, undertaking more than his fare share of leading them for the benefit of club members.

Policy. He quietly works away prolifically in the background."

Cardiff Canoe Club - WINNER

"CCC recognises the inherent diversity of paddlesport and embraces the breadth of disciplines it offers. CCC provides a platform for paddlers to explore different styles to discover where their passion lies. The club’s range of disciplines includes kayaking, canoeing, and SUP, on whitewater rivers, the

open ocean, flat water, freestyle spots, and slalom courses. CCC caters to the diverse interests and preferences of its members, no matter what type of paddlesport they are interested in. This commitment to inclusivity ensures that every paddler can find their niche within the club's vibrant community."

Rhondda Paddlers (Rhondda Rhinos)

"As a newly emerged polo team, what Rhondda Rhino's has achieved in the short time they have been playing is extraordinary!  Over the last 3 years, the club has grown with numbers and has teams across the Youth, Senior and Ladies categories. The pool sessions have approx. 40 paddlers on the water every week. Many of the club members have gone on to represent Wales in competitions in Europe and many of the Youth paddlers attend GB development in Liverpool every month. The club has a high number of females paddlers."