WORLD CHAMP CANOEIST SEEKS PLACE ON CANADIAN TEAM

By Ashley Rowe,

This past summer has been unforgettable for Nicole Haywood. Just look at her achievements:

World Champion –C-1 500 metre

Canada Games Gold –C-1 500 metre
Canada Games Gold –C-1 200 metre
Canada Games Silver –C-1 1,000 metre
Canada Games Bronze –C-2 500 metre

This summer has given Nanaimo’s Nicole Haywood a chance to show the nation that women’s sprint canoeing is worthy of support!

Just two weeks after being crowned a World Champion at the ICF World Sprint Canoe Championships in Dartmouth, NS and one week after a very successful performance in PEI at the Canada Summer Games, she raced against Canada?s top women paddlers at the Canadian Sprint Canoe Championships in Sherbrooke, Quebec Sept. 2-5.

In PEI, Nicole brought home a total of four medals!

She received a gold medal in the women’s C1 500 and 200m events, a silver in C1 1000m, a bronze in C2 500m with teammate Michelle Kosaka from Maple Ridge, and a fourth place finish in C2 1000m, and fifth in the IC4 500m with other TEAM BC members.

As the sole Nanaimo athlete at this year’s national championships, she wore the Nanaimo Canoe Kayak Club’s race jersey proudly as she sprinted to a GOLD medal finish in the Junior Women’s C1 200m and Sr. Women’s C1 500m events.

In the Jr. Women’s C1 1000 & 200m events as well as the Sr. Women’s C1 200m, she put out a valiant effort and placed second in each of these races respectively.

Nicole’s tally of recent competitions and distance travelled has been intense… she has returned to BC to move into residence at Simon Fraser University where she is continuing her studies this year.

“Next year women’s C1 200m will be an official event at senior worlds, so I am going for that spot on the Canadian Team,” Haywood siad.

“I can see four girls that will be fighting for the spot – it will be very close. So next year my goals are to make the Senior World’s team and the Pan-American Canoe Championships team.

“Eventually, it would be great to see the inclusion of women’s canoe in the Olympics, probably 2016 if it’s going to happen.

“I have said that I will continue to paddle until 2016, and even if women’s canoe is not in the Olympics, I’d like to be at the same level as men’s canoe/kayak and women’s kayak by 2016 or earlier.”

Haywood noted that her grandfather supported her financially with the purchase of two boats over her paddling career, “so of course I’d like to thank him.”

“Also I would thank my parents and family overall for supporting and believing in me.

“(Coach) Ashley has been incredible, throughout the years that we have worked together. Every year we would work through goals, most of mine were set very high -and she just said okay let’s do it, here is what you’ll have to do.

“She has a special talent for instilling confidence and belief in oneself, and her dedication to coaching is/was commendable.”

Nicole has been a dedicated volunteer for years in  Nanaimo, with hundreds of hours contributed to helping out at local parks, day camps, community events, golf tournaments and parades. She is also a coach and athlete representative on the board of the Nanaimo Canoe/Kayak club.

All the best to Nicole in the upcoming year! We will for sure be following her quest for more gold medals and the inclusion of her sport in the Olympics and World Championships! – Editors’ note: Ashley Rowe is PacificSport Canoe & Kayak Regional Coach