Interview

Although Andy Daniels is only 19-years-old, he is one of the top GB paddlers in marathon and flat water racing. Andy competes nationally and internationally as part of the GB squad in both sprint and marathon. In 2007 he became double national champion in K1 (kayak single) and K2 (kayak double).

More about Andy…

How did you first become involved in kayaking?
I followed my family into canoeing. There was also a good local flat water club locally – Reading Canoe Club and I got involved there (see more below).

When did you win your first race?
It has to be a divisional Hasler race div 9 in summer time. It was four miles long, there was no portage and no pressure – it was great fun!

Why have you chosen flat-water racing and not any other of the canoeing disciplines?
Well I have been exposed to flat-water racing through my dad and brother Tom, so it just followed naturally. Marathon racing occurs almost every weekend and I started going to lots of races and started training to work my way up the divisions. It has not been all flat-water though in the literal sense. I can remember a trip to Scotland for their race series which included some races on Loch Lomond and the River Tay. Paddling K boats down quite big rapids like Thistlebrig is confidence building and great fun. In 2006 my bother Tom and I won the Exe Descent in the Senior K2, this surprised some of the experienced paddlers that a couple of ‘sprint boys’ proved capable. It’s a great shame this race is in danger of disappearing from the marathon calendar

Attending National Regattas with my club and being part of the World Class Start Programme made me realise that sprint racing was an Olympic discipline and that the support was there to go all the way. At times canoeing is hard, just ask any paddlers on the water in January when it’s freezing cold and icy. However, paddling in the summer at my local club – it’s a beautiful place to be and incredibly sociable at grass roots and I wouldn’t want to be training anywhere else.

You raced as a Senior in the Marathon World Championships in Gyor Hungary and had a good competitive race… How did you feel about being in a pack of three with the two Spanish guys working together?
I couldn’t believe my luck to be competing head to head with the best guys in the world, these guys are heroes of the sport. Racing them was hard but I did better than I even thought possible. To be in with a chance of medalling at elite level in my debut senior event was a fantastic benchmark for me and I can only hope to improve on that next year and beyond.

What has been your best race to date and why?
It has to be finishing 7th at the World Sprint Championships in 2007 at Belgrade in the K4 200m event. That was as fast as canoeing ever gets and we made a world class A final. Before that it was the World Marathon Championships in 2005 Perth, Australia, and in 2006 in Tremolat, France, gaining a silver medal in K2 at each event with Alan Spencer and Stuart Hastings respectively. Becoming double National Champion in K1 and K2 with Ed Cox in 2007 was pretty awesome too.

What else do you do in you life other than canoeing?
I am a full time student in High Wycombe studying video production and a full time athlete at the National Academy at Bisham Abbey. Having to eat healthily and get plenty of rest and sleep, doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything else. My girlfriend and I go to the cinema in our free time, but I would like to make some time to learn to ski.

Are you naturally competitive?
Oh yes, I think I get it from having an older brother. Board games at our house never go down well!

What is the highlight of your career so far?
Being Youth Olympic gold medallist in Sydney 2007, winning there in the K2 1000m was fantastic. The praise I got from people was huge and it gave me more drive and commitment to winning at a the summer Olympics games.
What have been the toughest moments and how do you keep yourself motivated?

The toughest moments have to be the early mornings in cold weather, but all of the GB team motivate one another to get on the river and train hard.

Career highlights

National Championships 2007: Men’s K1 champion National Championships 2007: Men’s K2 champion with Ed Cox National Championships 2006: Junior Men’s K1 champion National Champion in U14, U16 and U18 levels in sprint and marathon

What is in the pipeline for 2008?
I am aiming for Olympic qualification at the European Championships in Milan in April. Plus a medal in the Czech Republic for the Marathon World Championships would be good. I was recently at a ten week training camp in Seville, Spain where we were trying every combination, amongst the squad paddlers, to achieve the fastest crew in K2.

The goal is to qualify a K2 at the European Championships in Milan 2008 for the Olympics. This does not necessarily mean that the paddlers who qualify the boat will go to the Olympics, just that GB has qualified a K2 for the Olympic games. The fastest crew at the time of the competition will ultimately be the crew that attends the Olympics.

What is a typical training day like?
It’s a 6:15am breakfast then down to Dorney Regatta Lake by 7:30 for an hour session. Then I am off to university till lunch time then home for lunch and any meetings I may have with coaches or support staff before training again at 4pm which could be another paddle or a run, gym or swim.

Who is/are your greatest supporters?
It has to be the family first, but thanks also go to the world class system for their excellent support as well as the BCU for the structure they have put in place for us athletes. The support at club level from my local club, Reading and from other clubs in all regions have always been very encouraging.

What is your ultimate goal in the sport?
I like everyone else in team GB strive to achieve my maximum potential, but my ultimate goal is to race and win a medal at an Olympic games.

Which club is your base and how long have you been there?
Initially I started canoeing with my family at Reading Canoe Club. Some weekends my brother and I (aged nine) attended junior training days at Elmbridge Canoe Club where Roland and Di Lawler were very encouraging. My senior school was on the other side of town, so I started paddling at the then new Wokingham Canoe Club with Duncan Blythe, who coached me along with others such as Paul Ralph and Richard Lovell and I received a great deal of support from this club.

Having joined the World Class Start program, I returned to Reading CC under the guidance of Dave Coulson, Junior National Coach and I attended West Thames Regional training weekends with Trevor Wetherall. I now race nationally for Reading CC.

I was invited to live at the National Sports Academy in Bisham Abbey and train with the potential international and Olympic paddlers of the highest standard, such as Tim Brabants and National Coach Shaun Caven, along with the many support staff that help to run the World Class Programme. My coach is currently Steve Harris who is immensely passionate about our sport.

I still go back to Reading CC to paddle on the good water there. There is a really fun sociable atmosphere but also the option of professionalism to push anyone who wants to improve. I would put a lot of my success down to the truly top class training environments and all the support I have had from people that are dedicated to the sport. For instance, I can well remember Ivan Lawler sitting me down after capsizing just before the finishing line at the 2006 National Championships and showing me how to race more tactically, effectively telling me how to beat him!

Thank you Andy for taking the time to give this interview.