Hello Canoe ’09!
My name is Maria Halavrezos and I am a female canoeist from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I am graduating this year from Dartmouth High and will be attending McGill University in the fall. I paddle on Banook Lake for Senobe Aquatic Club and have done so for about 13 years! I am currently training in hopes of making the Senior World Team for 2009. This will be a very exciting summer for women’s canoe, and I hope you will be interested in following my posts about training, competition and what the future holds for the sport.
It’s shaping up to be a busy summer! PanAms in Brazil, Canada Games, Nationals… and of course Senior Worlds! This will be the most densely packed summer I’ve experienced yet as paddler. Thinking about these events (and the training patterns that will go with them) can be slightly overwhelming at times, but my excitement outweighs my anxiety by a landslide. I’m not just excited for myself, but for the sport of women’s canoe. Never have I been given so many opportunities to participate at this level of competition, and I look forward to learning about developments of the sport in countries besides Canada.
As more incentives are given to develop women’s canoe, the expectations are raised. I’m only 18, and have personally seen the sport come leaps and bounds from what it used to be seen as. This is not to say that we don’t still have a way to go - women’s canoe is not an Olympic event, and in my opinion would not be ready for 2012. However, with the sport recently being named as a full medal event at Worlds 2010, it looks like it could be on its way to the Olympics in the near future. It all comes down to the racing level on the international stage, and Worlds 09 has made an incredible effort to raise that level.
If you are unfamiliar with women’s canoe, I hope that you take the time to watch some events this summer, and of course keep following my blog!
-Maria
