Teagan
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Burloak Athlete Spotlight
Athlete: Teagan
Age: 17
Program: High Performance Canoe
When did you start paddling at Burloak?
I started paddling in 2013 when I was 10, in the canoe kids program.
How did you hear about BCC?
I started paddling because my older brother Aidan was paddling.
What were your first impressions of the club and the sport?
My first impressions of the club were that it was a summer camp where you could have fun but you also had to work and train hard. I thought it was cool that the sport is both an individual sport and a team sport.
What was the biggest surprise to you about the sport?
I didn’t know that there was such a thing as a war canoe which has 15 people all in the same boat.
Do you play any other sports?
Before I did paddling I was a competitive swimmer but I left that sport when I decided to join the paddling club full time. In grades 9 and 10 I was also on the field hockey team.
What is your training schedule like?
It depends on the season, but it ranges from 6 practices a week to 10.
During on water season, I have morning and afternoon practices on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, and only morning practice on Wednesday and Saturday. During the off water season I have afternoon practices Monday through Saturday.
Do you eat anything specific for training as a paddler?
I have learned that before racing or time controls it is good to have carbs for energy, and to eat a good source of protein after workouts to build muscle.
What do you like about paddling?
I like that paddling is a sport done outside, and I also like competing at regattas.
What is the hardest part of the sport for you, and how do you overcome it?
I think the hardest part is being able to train as much as we do and not get so exhausted that we can can’t train hard. I am still working on this, but I have learned to listen to my body and make sure to take it easy when needed.
What goals have you set for yourself?
My goal is to medal at Nationals in an individual race.
What has been the highlight of your paddling career so far?
Making the Ontario Team which provided a lot of fun training opportunities, and more competitions.
Do you have any favourite memories that stand out?
One of my favourite memories is when we did a mixed C4 race at the Balmy Beach Regatta. It was really fun to race with teammates we’ve never raced with before and to go fast. Another memory that stands out for me is medalling in all my crew boats at Nationals in 2019.
Do you have any advice for other considering the sport of paddling? Advice I would give to someone new to the sport would be to always shake off a bad race and focus on the next one. You can always come back to the bad race later and think about what you can do to improve, but you should not let it affect your other races.
Do you have anything to share with someone considering the sport? Paddling is a really awesome sport to be involved in and we need more women’s canoe paddlers, so if you’re a girl reading this, join us and become a canoer!
