Women in Paddlesport | Paddle Cymru

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What is #ShePaddles?

#ShePaddles is an initiative that aims to get more women and girls into paddlesport, and to keep them progressing to where they want to be - whether that's paddling with family, volunteering as a coach at a local club, becoming an instructor or competing at a national level.

#ShePaddles was started by British Canoeing (now called Paddle UK) to even things up - even in 2020, only 3 in 10 members are female and we don't believe this is because women are less interested in paddling!

And yup, #ShePaddles is also a hashtag to help spread the word!

What is #ShePaddles Cymru?

#ShePaddles Cymru is Paddle Cymru own #ShePaddles initiative in Wales. We asked our Development Officer to explain how #ShePaddles Cymru started and where it's heading:

"Here at Paddle Cymru, we have a real desire to have gender balance in paddlesport in all settings.

Only 29% of Paddle Cymru members are female, and so we knew we wanted to do something to balance things out. The Sport Wales' 2018 School Sport Survey highlighted that participation in paddlesport is relatively gender equal at school age - and in fact demand for paddlesport is higher among females at secondary school age - but this is not currently translated into memberships.

In January 2020, Paddle Cymru was successful in their grant application to Sport Wales to establish and develop a #ShePaddles Cymru programme across Wales. #ShePaddles Cymru’s aim is to encourage all females to have a go at paddling, have fun and go paddling again, again and again for life.

Unfortunately, before the programme could start, we were put into lockdown. However, in this period we observed a big shift with a significant amount of people asking where they can learn to paddle. As restrictions eased, we had to take notice! And we did!

Now in 2024 we have ShePaddles Cymru champion clubs and delivery partners to increase the level of female focus activity around Wales.

We run festivals and events for all levels beginner to advanced.

We are now at 36% Female membership and our hope is we get as near to 50 % as we can.

To keep up to date and find out what we are doing visit our Facebook page

Who are our #ShePaddles Ambassadors?

Megan Eynon (Meg)
Where are you based?
Cardiff

Why do you want to be a SPC ambassador?
I love paddling! I want to share my enthusiasm and encourage as many women and girls as possible to get and stay on the water.

Fun fact about you?
I'm technically a Cyborg as I need to have an external medical device attached to me at all times to stay alive!
Megan Hamer-Evans
Where are you based?
Rhondda, South Wales

Why do you want to be a SPC ambassador?
I love seeing girls smiling and having fun when paddling and I want to see as many girls as possible out on the water enjoying themselves.

Fun fact about you?
I strongly believe that platting my hair before going on the water makes me paddle faster!
Hannah Vineer
And then we have Hannah Vineer. Hannah has already been an ambassador for a year so many of you will know her already. I’m sure you will agree she has been a fantastic ambassador and we are looking forward to seeing what the next year holds for Hannah.

What Hannah has to say…
#ShePaddles Cymru has kept me on the water and kept me (vaguely) sane this past couple of years! The entire team created such a supportive environment which has kept me paddling regularly despite chronic neurological disease, and the belonging I’ve found in our community really helped me to keep hold of my identity when I became a mum.

I have a real bee in my bonnet about making the outdoors and nature accessible for everyone, so the fact that I benefitted so much individually while also being trusted to represent female paddlers as a #ShePaddles Cymru ambassador has meant the world to me.

What's next?

We have brought on board #ShePaddles Cymru

Champion clubs
Delivery Partners
Centers

Who will all be running #ShePaddles Cymru sessions. On top of that we have festival weekend events and one off events. To find out more information on that visit our Facebook page to find the news first.

You can view all of our Delivery Partners here.

Remember to follow us:

What about the rest of the UK?

Our three #ShePaddles Cymru Ambassadors are the Welsh representatives from a group of 16 British Canoeing #ShePaddles Ambassadors, chosen to inspire women and girls throughout Great Britain. To read more about the other Ambassadors - including ten for Paddle UK (England) and three for Paddle Scotland - read the Paddle UK news here.

How can I get involved?

Join the #ShePaddles Cymru Facebook group
Become a member of #ShePaddles Cymru and join our supportive community of female paddlers in Wales. It's somewhere for women to share ideas, swap advice and stories, make new friends and chat about all things paddling:
facebook.com/groups/shepaddlescymru/
Get ladies together
If you want to support female paddlers, why not plan a women-only paddle meet, club night or paddling social? Let's get girls together to support each other!
Inspire the female paddlers you know
Listen to your female friends and encourage where you can - sometimes all it takes is a few kind words to give someone the boost they need to take the next step, whether that's trying out white water, paddling in a new location or presenting for an assessment.
Spread the word
Use the #ShePaddles and #ShePaddlesCymru hashtags in your social media posts to celebrate female achievements in paddlesport and raise awareness of what we're doing. And if you're proud to be part of the #ShePaddles movement, you can buy #ShePaddles clothing here.
Explore and challenge barriers to women progressing
Did you know women are much more likely to hold themselves back from assessment until they're well above the standard required? If you're with a club or centre (or even if you're not), read this leaflet from British Canoeing to find out more about how to increase female participation and retain female paddlers. Engaging Women in Paddlesport (PDF)
Encourage any Paddling Club you join, to become a #ShePaddles Cymru Champion Club
Follow the link to read all about how it works. Champion Club Programme (Webpage)