Shropshire Paddlesport Club has been on an exciting journey into the exhilarating sport of White Water Raft Racing.
In 2023 a second R6 Bull Raft was loaned to the club by British Rafting with the aim of increasing participation into British Rafting White Water Raft Race series races.
2023 saw the club complete raft guide training on the River Dee with 6 members and 3 successfully gained their Grade 2 Raft Guide Qualification. This qualification has allowed the club to give people a taste of the thrills of white water in a safe and enjoyable way in a raft. The club makes use of the amazing River Dee which is only 20 minutes from the club to give it’s members this opportunity. The club also runs regular raft race training sessions on the canal where we build our strength, stamina and technique before putting members to the test on more challenging water.
2023 also saw a newly formed female team from Shropshire Paddlesport Club compete in the British Open Euro Cup at Holme Pierrepont in October. At this event 2 of it’s female members joined together with 3 other women from HPPCC and LVPC to form Nott Ladylike Masters Women team and competed in the National Selection event on the Olympic Course at Lee Valley in December, in which we came second. These 2 women from Shropshire Paddlesport Club will now go on as part of the R4 GB2 Masters Women team to compete in May’s IRF World Rafting Championships in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Recently 2 teams from Shropshire Paddlesport competed again at Holme Pierrepont in a British Rafting Head-to-Head event allowing members who had never been on white water and never competed to have a taste of what white water racing is all about. This was a huge success.
Added to all of this, in March this year, Shropshire Paddlesport Club gained qualifications that allow it to now to provide training for and award Personal Performance Awards for Flat Water, Stadium and River Raft Race Awards and 4 members gained their River Raft Race Awards, after completing training and assessments with Jon Best of Rapid Horizons.
Shropshire Paddlesport Club is now focusing on the next race at Matlock in May and plans to attend all British Rafting development days and races.
Would you like to take part? Drop us an email: enquires@shropshirepaddlesport.org
