Lowri Davies

A lot of people wouldn’t know it, but despite having been a part of the British Team for 6 of the past 8 years; I have not competed at a World Championships since Sort in 2001 (back when I was a wee junior and had been paddling less than 2 years)! There were various reasons I couldn’t go to the World Champs since such as exams, work, expeditions and travelling but the 2nd ICF World Championships 2009 in Thun, Switzerland this August looks set to be an awesome event and I was super keen to be a part of it.

This weekend was the British Freestyle Team 2009 selection competition at Hurley : 5 hours drive from my University home of Aberystwyth. The timing wasn’t ideal for me, with an ever increasing mountain of work in this final semester of my Masters; but I knew that the competition for the 3 Ladies places on the team would be hard fought with 5 current or ex-European Champions and several World and Euro Cup medals between us. If I wanted to go to Thun, I would have to commit to selection and spend a few days training at Hurley – leaving the assignments and Dissertation 230 miles away.

Throwing down at Selection – Photo: Chris Jones

Amazingly we had a gorgeous 3 gates leading up to and throughout the competition. I put my work out of my mind and got down to busting some moves in the sunshine. The risk to my degree paid off: I secured myself a spot on the GB Freestyle Team alongside Flea Jarvie and Emily Wall. I’m totally stoked and really pleased with my team-mates too: Em and Flea have been fun to train with and are flying on the wave.

So now I am back in Aber and am about to start the attack on that work I ran away from last week…

Woo Hoo: World Champs… I’m coming!!