A new world class venue is to be built in the Lee Valley, providing not only a venue for the Olympic Games in 2012, but a much needed white water site for canoeists, kayakers and rafters alike.

As a young kayaker I already do a great deal of kayaking with the Herts Young Mariners Base, which is situated a stones throw from the intended venue for the White Water Canoe Centre. Most of our paddling is on flat water, or at weirs but we do travel to the Nene Whitewater Centre for white water slalom.

I was also fortunate to travel with Herts Young Mariners Base (HYMB) to the French Alps this summer for 10 days of white water training as part of a project called Cheshunt Olympic Preparation Squad (COPS)! We were pleased to have the expert tuition of Helen Reeves, a Bronze medallist in a K1 Kayak at the Athens 2004 Olympics, who travelled with us before going on to the Beijing Olympics.

White Water Slalom in French Alps

This blog will update on the progress of the White Water Canoe Centre in Broxbourne, as well as other kayaking and canoeing items that I hope you will find interesting.

Technorati Tags: Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre, Canoe, canoeing, French Alps, Helen Reeves, HYMB, kayak, kayaking, Olympics