Family Profile
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Burloak Athlete Spotlight
Hilton, Hugh, Audrey, and Iris are siblings that have all chosen to participate in the programs at the Burloak Canoe Club. Each making their own way as paddlers, they are enjoying the experiences they’ve had so far, and the environment at the club.
Hilton and Hugh are in their second year paddling at Burloak, having left competitive gymnastics in 2019 with a skill set well suited to their new sport.
Now as part of the Youth Sprint group, they’re making their mark, finishing in the top two spots for U12 boys in Ontario at this summer’s Power Ranking challenge.
Hilton & Hugh
What were your first impressions of the club and the sport?
Hilton: My first impression of the club was that the environment was welcoming. All of
the people I met were very kind and the coaches are great.
Hugh: My first impression of the club was that everyone was very kind and it felt like a positive environment.
Do you play any other sports?
Hilton: When I first started paddling I had just stopped competitive gymnastics, training
20 hours a week. I was also swimming 3x week.
Outside of paddling, I currently don’t do any other competitive sports. However, I play
soccer, swim, rock climb, and enjoy running.
Hugh: When I first started at Burloak Canoe Club I did swimming, a bit of soccer and rock climbing and I had just left competitive gymnastics where I trained 20 hours a week. I’m not currently doing any other sports, partly due to COVID
How often do you train and what does training look like for you?
Hilton and Hugh: During the summer we train Monday to Friday 10:00am - 3:00pm,
and sometimes Saturdays and early mornings. This past summer, our group would go
on the water for half of the day and dry-land train for the rest of the day.
Last winter we went to the club 2-4 days a week for mobility exercise or circuit training
workouts. We also did some running. This fall and winter we are doing online team
workouts at home and running outside.
Do you have to compete, and if so, how often?
Hilton: In the summer of 2019 I competed a couple of times. My first races were at
WODs (Western Ontario Divisional Championships) and then Provincials in Ottawa. Both
events were great experiences. This past summer our competitions were modified due
to COVID. Our times were submitted online and it was fun to see the results.
Hugh: I have competed only twice, during the summer of 2019, at WOD’s and Provincials. Regattas are a lot of fun. This year, our competitions had to be modified because of COVID. Our Coaches organized online time trials/regattas and it was a great way to keep us motivated.
What do you like about paddling?
Hilton: I love how this sport makes me feel. Working hard, being outside, paddling on
the water—always makes me feel awesome.
Hugh: I love the environment of paddling. I love to be outdoors and I love water sports.
What is the hardest part of the sport for you, and how do you overcome it?
Hugh: The hardest part of training is the tiredness throughout a workout. However, all
of the tiredness feels worth it after you have completed the workout.
Do you have to eat anything specific for training as a paddler?
Hilton: I don’t eat anything specific, but LOTS of healthy food and water is very
important!
Hugh: As a paddler, I do not eat anything specific, but I try to eat healthy and give my body enough energy to fuel my sport.
What are your goals for paddling? How are you working to achieve them?
Hilton: My goal is to continue to improve my form and become faster. I listen to my
coaches’ critiques and try my best to apply that to my paddling.
Hugh: My goals for paddling are to get stronger and faster. I’m going to work to achieve this by trying my hardest as I train and taking all of the advice I am given by my coaches.
What was the biggest surprise to you about the sport?
Hilton: Paddling is a lot harder than it looks!
Hugh: At first, I was surprised by how difficult paddling can be.
Do you have any favourite memories that stand out?
Hugh: My favourite memories of paddling are racing. After I finish a race I feel a sense
of accomplishment and happiness.
Do you have any advice for someone new to the sport of paddling?
Hilton: Paddling is definitely a challenging sport, but it can be very rewarding and lots
of fun. I’d highly recommend trying it out!
Hugh: Paddling is a very rewarding sport. Although it may be difficult at times, after practice you feel great and racing is lots of fun.
Inspired by their brothers, Audrey and Iris joined the Burloak Canoe Club in 2020. Older sister Audrey started paddling with the Sprint Starter group before moving into the Performance group for the fall session. Iris attended one week of Canoe Kids and while she admits that, at 7 years old she’s too young to be a serious paddler, she hopes to attend Canoe Kids again next summer.
Audrey
How did you get started at Burloak?
I started paddling at the beginning of summer 2020. I had trained in Ballet for 11 years
and was looking for a new challenge. My brothers, Hugh and Hilton, were already
paddling at Burloak and after seeing them paddle, I decided that this was something
that I wanted to try.
What were your first impressions of the club and the sport?
My first impression of this club was that the people were friendly. Paddling seemed like
a sport that would push me to my fullest potential physically.
What do you like about paddling?
I really enjoy being on the water and exercising outdoors.
Do you have to eat anything specific for training as a paddler?
Paddling requires lots of energy—so definitely lots of food.
Do you have any advice for someone new to the sport of paddling?
I would recommend anyone considering this sport to give it a try!
Iris
What were your first impressions of the club and the sport?
I thought the club was lots of fun and paddling on the water made me feel very happy.
All of the coaches were friendly and the people were welcoming.
Do you play any other sports?
During the year I do ballet. I also love swimming and playing volleyball.
What do you like about paddling?
My favourite thing about paddling is that it’s outdoors and on the water.
Do you have any favourite memories that stand out?
At Canoe Kids Camp, I loved going in the Banana Boats and paddling in the speed
kayaks. My favourite memory was when I beat my coach in a race!
Do you have any advice for someone new to the sport of paddling?
I think whoever tries paddling will love it!