Have a Splashing Time at Go Canoeing Week 2015

The Road to Rio starts now

With the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio just over a year away, Go Canoeing, the Olympic legacy initiative from British Canoeing, is challenging the nation to paddle the distance from the UK to Rio for National Go Canoeing Week 2015.

Taking place from Saturday 23rd – Sunday 31st May, Go Canoeing Week 2015 will give the public a chance to pick up a paddle and contribute to the 24,901 mile target distance at more than 500 clubs and centres throughout England.

Following on from last year’s successful Go Canoeing Week, the ‘Road to Rio’ challenge has been introduced to encourage participants of all ages and abilities to get involved in the sport prior to the Olympic Games next year. With a range of accessible and sociable activities on offer, participants who are unfamiliar with the sport can kick start their experience through a number of Starter Sessions and Guided Tours.

For those wanting more of an independent adventure, there is the opportunity to take part in one and three-mile Challenges at a number of picturesque locations including Windermere, Rutland, Lee Valley and The New Forest.

However and wherever participants choose to join in, everyone can log on to the Go Canoeing Week website to submit their individual distances and help reach the overall ‘Road to Rio’ target. Participants will also be able to monitor nationwide progress via an interactive map on the website which will give a running total of the miles completed during the event.

Jenny Spencer, Go Canoeing Development Manager, said "Go Canoeing Week enables participants to get out on the water and have fun. It’s been great to see so many people get involved in the past and having smashed last year’s total miles target, we wanted to take the challenge to the next level and get people excited about next year’s Olympics.

It seems like London 2012 was just yesterday but looking ahead to Rio 2016 and beyond, canoeing offers participants an extremely fun, varied and stimulating activity and we want as many people out on the water as possible. Once you’ve tried it for the first time, we’re sure it won’t be the last and, as always, every mile counts.”

For more information about National Go Canoeing Week log onto www.gocanoeingweek.org.uk

Make sure to stay up to date via the Facebook page and on Twitter.

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For further information and press enquiries, please contact:

Amy Roberts-Hernandez – Go Canoeing Marketing and Communications Officer

0845 3709235 Amy.roberts@gocanoeing.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

Some of the activities participants will be able to take part in during National Go Canoeing Week are:

Starter Sessions – Provide the perfect introduction to the sport no matter what level you are, and are suitable for all ages. Everyone taking part in an Every Mile Counts Starter Session will be encouraged to complete a mile, which they can register to help meet the overall target. No specialist kit or skills needed, just turn up and see what the wonderful world of canoeing has to offer!

Guided Tours – Suitable for absolute beginners, as well as those with some canoeing experience, Guided Tours are a great way for adults and families to broaden their horizons, meet like-minded people and escape the daily grind on an adventure. Specially trained Tour Guides will help you discover new places to paddle, as well as pointing out all the local points of interest.

1 & 3 mile Challenges – Participants can complete either a one or three-mile route at one of four stunning locations. The routes are open to everyone and equipment hire will be available at all locations. Or you can bring your own kit and complete your mile or miles in any form of paddlesport craft, as long as it doesn’t have a motor. A great way to have fun and spend time with the family.

Clock Up Your Own Miles – Participants don’t just need to come along to one of our activities to get involved. Simply get out on the water and enjoy the wonderful world that canoeing has to offer – and help us beat our target mileage in the process.

For more information on Go Canoeing, visit: www.gocanoeing.org.uk 

Funding Bodies

Sport England 

Go Canoeing:

Go Canoeing is a national initiative organised by British Canoeing (the national governing body for the sport), aimed at encouraging and inspiring more people to take to the water more regularly. By providing a range of captivating and inspiring opportunities and resources, we are confident we can significantly increase the number of people who paddle on a weekly and monthly basis. The project, targets the adult and family leisure markets and aims to demonstrate to the nation how fun, social and accessible canoeing can be. The project is supported with funding from Sport England and the National Lottery.

Activities, including Starter Sessions, Guided Tours and mass participation events, will be held across the country and have been designed to open up the sport to a wider audience. As well as including details about all our events, the Go Canoeing website also features resources, such as Canoe Trails, news articles and hints and tips from professionals and the Go Canoeing community about how to make the most of your paddling experience.

For more information visit: www.gocanoeing.org.uk or for more information about British Canoeing visit: www.britishcanoeing.org.uk.