World class coaching for youngsters

LAPPING IT UP: Thirteen-year-old Tayla Brunger soaks up the knowledge from Whanganui world class paddler Max Brown during yesterday's holiday programme kayaking session. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

Budding young paddlers have been rubbing shoulders and lapping up the knowledge of two world class Whanganui kayakers.

Twenty-year-old Max Brown and 18-year-old Toby Brooke have just completed hosting a series of holiday training sessions on the Whanganui River, but intend to continue the popular programmes in the New Year.

The programmes were the brainchild of the kayak division of the Wanganui Triathlon and Multisport Club who put Brown and Brooke in charge of coaching the sessions.

Both are world class paddlers with experience at world junior and world under-23 championship level, so the knowledge they are passing on to youngsters is substantial.

Brown has been to three world championships, while Brooke has been to two and they have paired up this summer in an attempt to take the national K2 open title in February and hopefully podium finish at the World Under-23 Championships in Belarus in August.

For the past week the pair have been hosting two-hour coaching sessions twice a day catering for novice paddlers.

"They've been pretty popular, especially with the children," Brown said yesterday.

"We have been teaching paddling techniques, including team paddling, water safety tips and putting on relay and individual races during the two-hour sessions."

The club has provided all the equipment required for the modest fee of just $20 for the four days. There are two sessions a day, at 9am and again at 1pm.

"It's cheap as chips really and the kids have loved it. We have finished for Christmas now, but will start the programme again from the weeks beginning January 18 and April 18," Brown said.