Page 4 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 47

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Women on Water

By Jordan Todd they just always have the guys there
leading the charge.”
heryl McGregor first noticed the
Her solution was to create Women
Clack of women kayakers when on Water Festival (name subject to
her male friend kept commenting
on how there were never any ladies change), a yearly, weekend-long
getaway for women of all skill levels
out on the water. She thought it was
(and men, as long as they’re willing
weird initially, but quickly began to
to take a backseat) to get together and
realize that it was just a problem that
get in the water.
she didn’t notice, since whenever she
was out she was with a bunch of her “It’s basically an initiative to get
friends. more women out on the water, in
whatever vessel or means they want
“I started talking with people, and
to,” McGregor explains. “Right now,
thinking through my own experiences
it’s more geared toward white water
taking courses and stuff, and I began
kayaking, but I’m hoping it’ll get
to realize that sometimes a lot of
bigger than that eventually.” Photo credits John Rathwell Photography
ladies aren’t comfortable venturing
in their own group, or they don’t The actual event is only loosely a big group of mostly ladies camping of the newer paddlers, I think it really
know enough people, or there’s not structured. McGregor refers to it as out and kayaking for a weekend. helped their confidence. Everyone

enough networking,” she says. “So a ‘tailgate party’; it’s essentially just
That’s by design, to accommodate came out of the weekend feeling like
Miller Hughes Ford ask’s comers of all skills levels. The one we’d accomplished something.”

thing she does the first morning is
The festival is still in its infancy
What is your Favourite gather everyone around to talk about stage. This was just its second year,
their goals for the weekend. Not
and it relies mainly on word of mouth,
Sports Memory? only is it instructive for McGregor but McGregor has high hopes for the
to see what everyone’s skill level is,
future. Ultimately, she hopes Women
but it creates a sense of community on Water Festival will be like other
- everyone helps each other reach big kayaking events, with sponsors,

Name: Julien Leroux and exceed their goals. And there’s vendor booths, cheap clinics, and
another benefit to it. lots of people - but all geared toward
Age: 41
“When I started working toward women.
Hometown: Alexandria goals, I improved. And when I
Currently, McGregor is the only
Work: Alexandria improved, I gained confidence. And organizer. With little to no event
all of a sudden, I believed I could
Moulding planning experience, and having to
do whatever I set my mind to,” says balance training, competition (she
Favourite sports McGregor.
recently won the Canadian freestyle
memory: Christine Blair is a friend of kayaking team trials), and a full-time

My favourite sports McGregor’s who went to both Women job, she’s hoping to find some help
on Water Festival meetups. She says soon; a kayaking company to sponsor
memory is when I won the talk about goals at the beginning and help her with the details of the
Athlete of the Year really separated the event from just event would be a nice start.

going kayaking with friends.
in 1992 at Glengarry District High School. “Until then though, it’s still pretty
“It was really great. It gave people cool doing it as a little impromptu
Having played volleyball, badminton, tennis, a chance to see improvement, achieve tailgate party, even if it’s just a whole
basketball, and going to EOSSAA that year their goals, and to try and work bunch of ladies paddling the river on

for badminton was quite memorable. toward something,” say Blair. “I the same day,” says McGregor. “I
tried some more advanced lines than still cross that off as a success.”
I normally would have, and for some