Hats off to Hattie and her Proteus Canoe Club teammates at a National Ranking event on Orton Mere
Hattie McNeil was the standout star for Proteus Canoe Club as they hosted their annual National Ranking Orton Mere Slalom event for Division 3 and 4 paddlers.
The competition featured four disciplines: Kayak, Canoe, C2 (pairs), and SUP (Stand-up Paddle), spanning from Junior 6 (J6) to Veteran categories. Clubs from as far afield as Essex to Yorkshire gathered to enjoy the sunshine and take to the water for a fantastic weekend of racing. The youngest competitor was just three years old!
And the races were full of excitement including a nail-bitingly close Division 3 K1M race (where just 10 seconds separated 1st from 7th place)
Proteus CC athletes delivered outstanding performances, aided by local knowledge, with McNeil claiming gold in Division 3 C1W (J16) category with a 10-second margin of victory.
McNeil has since been promoted to Division 2 and also invited to join an U23 and junior squad traveling to Solkan, Slovenia for the White Water Racing European Championships at the end of the month.
McNeil only joined the Proteus ‘Slalom Start’ program a year ago to confirm the incredible opportunities available to young athletes in the sport in the city.
In Division 4 Lucy Hands, another ‘Slalom Start’ graduate, was the fastest J16 in the C1, while Ziz Trelawny-Vernon won both the Division 4 Canoe and Kayak events and has also earned promotion to Division 3.
Orson Tingay placed third in Division 4 K1M, while Tom Everett secured second in the same division the following day. Al Storer earned the title of fastest SUP paddler.
Siblings Morgan and Vorna Paul posted the fastest times of the weekend in the men’s and women’s categories, and Mick Stegeman and Jason Reid capped it all off for Proteus by winning the C2 race by a commanding 13-second margin
If you are interested in trying something new and taking part in paddle sports, in all disciplines - White Water Racing, Slalom, Freestyle, River Running or just recreational paddling – visit the club’s Facebook page ‘Proteus CC’ or contact the club by email at [email protected]
The club’s ‘Slalom Start’ program, led by Stegeman, continues to play a crucial role in developing young talent, with participants showing remarkable progress and success.