2014 has started with the appointment of a new Talent Officer for CANI. Alex McCloy has joined the staff and his role will be to coordinate and develop the CANI Talent Development programme. He has a background of working with Ulster Rugby and with elite golfers. In next month’s e-zine Alex will provide a comprehensive description of his new role.
Despite the inclement weather both the slalom and surf developments squads have met over the Christmas and New Year period with excellent turnouts and significant progress being made. Slalom coaches Matt McKnight and Andy Hadfield held a three day squad meeting from 3 -5 January at Ardnavalley Scout Centre where significant physiological testing was carried out and also at Gilford Slalom Site where technical work on the water was undertaken. The slalom squad will meet again over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of February.
The surf development squad met on Sunday 12th January at White Rocks where very constructive water based training and classroom sessions were conducted by coach Paul Harrington. The squad hope to meet again over the weekend of the 8th and 9th of February.
During December the sprint development squad have been attending weekly ergo and strength and conditioning sessions at Ardnavalley Scout Centre. They sessions have been conducted by sprint coach Ray Sweetlove.
Afton Fitzhenry who is a member of the sprint development squad has attended a Girls4Gold assessment day in London during early January. Girls4Gold is aimed at talented female athletes who are committed to a once in a lifetime opportunity to become part of Britain’s canoeing elite. This is a tremendous achievement for Afton and we all wish her well in hopefully realising her dreams of success within this programme.
All of the members of the development squads are working extremely hard and hopes are high for success during 2014.
In other athlete news both Chris Hobson and Marty McCann have been busy during the later months of 2013 and over the festive period. Chris has been in Sri Lanka at the end of 2013 for warm weather training while Marty has been in Portugal and South Africa over the festive period and early January in preparation for the World Waveski Tour event later this year.
