I have been privileged to have been involved in paddlesport for nearing 40 years and have been an active SCA member for the last 25 of those. Through this time, I have dabbled enthusiastically but unspectacularly with competitive paddling in slalom, sprint, marathon and wild water racing. However, my main experiences have been working in adventure sport disciplines on the rivers & lochs of Scotland and internationally, as a professional coach and SCA National trainer within White Water, Open Canoe and Sea Kayak disciplines. 

Within the Rio Olympic cycle, I joined the British Canoeing Performance Department initially as a coach developer, before leading the Canoe-Sprint Women’s Olympic Development Programme. Within the Tokyo cycle, I held the Head Coach position of British Canoeing’s Paralympic and latterly Olympic Programmes, leading both teams to medal success at the Tokyo Olympic & Paralympic Games. Within these roles, I developed strategy and leadership skills, developing key relationships and an understanding of the UK and Home Nation sporting landscape. I have a proven track record of strategic thinking underpinned by supportive performance cultures, and was thrilled to see Paracanoe coaches winning accolades such as 2018 High-Performance Coach of the year, International Canoe Federation Coach of the Year 2019, and multiple Mussabini medals. Personally, in a coaching context, I was awarded Human Kinetics, Elite Sport Coach of the Year 2021. 

Post Tokyo, on an interim basis, I transitioned into the Interim Chairperson role of Scotland Rugby League and gained further valuable leadership experience leading the Board in delivering domestic and international ambitions. This included leading off-field organisational change, leadership and governance review, business, commercial and volunteer workforce oversight. 

Additionally, I have gained operational experience, as Chief Executive Officer of Snowsports Scotland, responsible for the creation and delivery of the Milan-Cortina organisational strategic ambition. This includes accountability for six Olympic and Paralympic performance programmes, in addition to leading the National Governing Body for Snowsport as a modern, well-governed forward-thinking organisation. 

Within this role, in a business context, I was awarded 2023 Scottish Outstanding Achiever of the year, and Veterans Awards, Leavers to Leader award 2023. Through these leadership experiences across sport, together with an understanding of opportunities that our sport allows, I would be honoured to give back to the sport that has given me so much, to support the SCA Board, Staff and Volunteer workforces in delivering their key ambitions. 

My paddlesport adventures really took off around ten years ago, after moving up to Scotland from England. I immediately fell in love with the country: the rivers, the lochs, the mountains, the snow, the sea and the community of people. Scotland is not only a beautiful country, but also a very friendly one; and I feel this comes across from everyone whenever I am out on the water. I am regularly involved in many disciplines of paddlesport including all disciplines of SUP, canoeing, kayaking, white water rafting and the odd bit of sea kayaking. On top of this I also do a lot of climbing, skiing and other adventure sports as well.

I am a director for my own company, freelance for a few select friends/companies and volunteer for different paddlesport clubs/communities as well. I have worked in the industry for the last ten years since moving up here and felt that there is no better way to give back to an industry and community that has done so much for me than being on the Board. It is a pleasure to be able to help paddlesport in any manner and the main role I serve on the Board is to be the representative for Scotland sitting on the British Canoeing board as well and thus ensuring that Scotland’s needs/views are represented accordingly. I also bring across a wide array of knowledge from the different disciplines and other adventure sports as well.

In my spare time you are most likely to see me out on the rivers on a paddleboard grinning from ear to ear.

I’m excited to become a Director on the SCA Board and am looking forward to getting involved in supporting the SCA in the work they do and future directions. 

I have been passionate about the great outdoors for my entire life, this leading to numerous adventures on the water and mountains around the world. Alongside personal adventures I have made it my life career to support others in realising their outdoor adventure dreams and in this become more independently skilled in the outdoors. This has been achieved working as a paddlesport coach, with a particular focus on sea and white-water kayaking. I spent 26 years at sportscotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre, Glenmore Lodge, where I held positions of Head of Paddlesport and Chief Instructor. These days I work independently delivering bespoke coaching and guiding. I actively deliver a range of SCA coaching and leadership qualification courses, which to this day I still feel privileged to do so and support the coaches/leaders of the future. 

I have always believed in supporting, developing and evolving the wider aspects of paddlesport for all to benefit from. I have done this by authoring sea kayaking guides and skills books; but for over 25 years this has primarily been done by supporting the SCA and British Canoeing in the development work they are involved in. This through involvement in many differing committees including technical committees for BC and the coaching and development committee for the SCA. I have also been involved in project work to support coach development; this includes the current Coach Award and the British Canoeing Educational Philosophy. 

I am as passionate as ever to support paddlesport at a strategic level to try and get more people out paddling in a safe and sustainable way. To assist in enabling this I currently sit on British Canoeing’s Coaching & Leadership Strategy Group and am committed to my new role on the SCA Board to focus on supporting Scottish paddlesport and the SCA membership.

I have been a paddlesport addict for around 15 years. It took a trip to New Zealand to catch the bug, but I haven’t looked back since, thanks to the paddling community at large and especially the support and encouragement of the Inverness Canoe Club, my local club. Over the years, I’ve tried to support its activities, helped it become a SCIO and served on its board for over a decade; this year I am its chair. I am passionate about paddlesport and how it can be a welcoming, inclusive place for people to explore and then develop their sport, whether recreationally or competitively, regardless of age or ability. Sharing that joy of being on the water with as many folk as possible is one of the most important things the SCA can do.

Last year, I joined the SCA Access Committee, and I believe that our access right and responsibilities not only give us paddlers great access to water, not-withstanding a few problems, but also help challenge a mindset about how we all enjoy the outdoors, that has the potential to transformatively benefit Scotland as a nation. 

Professionally I have a strong background in corporate governance but as a retired environmental professional, I am also experienced in managing land for nature. Currently I am also on the Board of Action for Protecting Rural Scotland (APRS), one of Scotland’s oldest conservation charities. The SCA importantly champions good environmental practice; we all need to be aware of our sport’s carbon footprint. 

To end, I share a wish – to develop an even stronger relationship between affiliated clubs and the SCA. Clubs have a huge resource in terms of volunteers, and we are stronger together: it’s all of us as members who make the SCA what it is.