Christ College Brecon is marking International Women’s Day by joining in with Canoe Wales’ #ShePaddlesCymru initiative.
A group of Year 10 pupils will be taking part in a Paddle Sports Taster Session on 8 March as part of Christ College’s Outdoor Adventure programme, aiming to master stand-up paddleboarding (SUP).
Christ College Brecon Activities Instructor and #ShePaddles Ambassador Clare Thomas will host the session at Brecon Promenade/Brecon Canal Basin, sharing her expertise and passion.
#ShePaddles is an initiative that aims to get more women and girls into paddle sport, as only 36% of Canoe Wales members are female. #ShePaddles helps women share their passion for paddling whilst celebrating the great things they are doing for the sport.
The Sport Wales 2018 School Sport Survey highlighted demand for paddle sport is higher among females at secondary school age, though it does not translate into Canoe Wales memberships. This session aims to give the girls the opportunity to engage with paddle sports fully, and hopefully inspire them to continue with it throughout their lives.
Clare said: “As a #ShePaddles ambassador, I am keen to promote paddle sports to the students here at Christ College. I know that not all schools are lucky enough to run their own canoe or kayak club, but I really want to try and encourage young people to go out and give paddling a go and this taster session should be a great way to do so.”
Lydia Wilford, Development Officer for Canoe Wales and #ShePaddlesCymru organiser, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the girls in the school to have a fun and informative session of paddleboarding with Clare, who is one of three of Canoe Wales #ShePaddles Cymru Ambassadors. Clare is a great representative as she has lots of paddle sports experience along with a huge passion to get more women and girls into paddle sports.
“Our programme has really opened up our wonderful sport to females and we hope to continue to increase the numbers of females taking part in the sport.”
