Joe-
Clarke.co.uk

Career So Far…

I started Canoe Slalom when I was 11 through Walton Priory Middle school, I had been interested in joining the local club Stafford & Stone CC prior to this after going canoeing with the scouts but after ringing the secretary, I was told that i was too young so kind of gave up on that idea. But in year 6 there was another opportunity to start. There was 8 places avaliable (4 men and 4 women) and we had to write a letter as to why we think we should be chosen. With over 60 applicants applying i was certainly lucky to be chosen as one of the four!!

It started as a once weekly thing and progressed quite fast competing in my first slalom in October of that year and getting promoted up to the next division. After a good winters training I went out the next season and shot up through the divisions. Before long I was in the Premier division and was the youngest person to ever get promoted to this division. It took until 2009 for me to break onto the GBR Junior team but since then i have won 2 silver medals at the Junior European championships in 2009 and 2010 in the team event.

I am now training towards the London 2012 Olympics. I have qualified myself a place to race at the selections next April and have moved to Nottingham to increase contact time with my coach and the English Institute of sport facilities as well as access the great white water course at the national water sports centre.

Keep checking back to see my progress and hopefully that dream of London 2012 will become reality next April!