ICF SUP Worlds Gydnia Poland

I am truly honoured that for a second time in my life I have been able to represent Team Canada on an international stage in the stand up paddle boarding world. From September 4th to 12th 2022 I competed at the ICF World SUP Championships in Gydnia Poland. I love that SUP keeps bringing me to places that I never thought I would go. This was my first time travelling to Europe and I definitely was not disappointed. The sights, the sounds, the smell of the Baltic Sea were beyond what I ever could have imagined.

Kirsty and I on day one :)

The first few days in Poland went by so fast. Kirsty and I kept busy by exploring Gydnia, talking with other paddlers from all over the world, analyzing race courses, registration, and more. We kept a close eye on the forecast to try to predict what the conditions would be for our races. We talked to a local at registration that told us “the Baltic sea changes every day, don’t look at Fridays forecast until Friday”. We were mostly worried about Fridays forecast because Windy was predicting winds gusting up to 50km’s and 5ft swells coming from the SE. Kirsty and I both knew that those conditions would make for a tough race. I immediately looked down at my brace wrapping around my left knee and thought… “oh no… this forecast isn’t looking good”. I normally don’t mind paddling in waves but having not fully recovered from my ACL sprain, lateral meniscus bone bruise, and partially thick medial meniscus tear, I was worried. I found a gym in our hotel and went there almost every night to stretch and do yoga to calm my nervous mind.

Mid-week I picked up my brand new Starboard Allstar 2023, met with Bart De Zwart and other paddlers I admire such as Fiona Wylde, April Zilg, and Holly Pye. I was also able to reconnect with paddlers I met at my previous world championships such as Maui from Germany, Ross from Ireland, and Marie Buchanan from the UK. Fiona and I discussed our injuries we occurred earlier this year, while Holly and I chatted Paddle Logger business, and Marie explained her SUP expedition around Scotland at the end of the month. It was refreshing and exciting to chat with everyone about their paddling worlds.

Starboard Dream Team 2022 (plus Tim and I aha!)

Thursday night arrived and my team and I were discussing what Fridays conditions for the long distance race would look like. Still not good… The forecast had not changed all week. I looked down again at my knee and my heart dropped in my stomach. My feelings of nervousness had all faded. I was no longer nervous about racing because I knew it was not safe for my knee to paddle in those conditions. I didn’t think this through… I depended too much on mother nature to believe that the conditions would have been calm enough for me to race at worlds. I could not believe that for a second time, at a second world championship that my chance to race in the long distance discipline was not going to be possible. That fact alone really hurt.

Team Canada group picture 2022

Friday morning Kirsty and I woke up and looked out our window right away. We were like kids on Christmas looking out the window in search of snow… but instead of snow we saw the trees bent over in the aggressive winds, and lots of waves crashing along the shores of Gydnia. There was definitely no way I was racing. Kirsty and I walked downstairs, took our time eating breakfast, and watched our phones light up constantly with race updates from the ICF organizing committee. At first the ICF pushed the juniors races, then the whole race got delayed by three hours. Local authorities said it was not safe to race at 11am, so the race got pushed to 2pm. At 2pm Kirsty and I made our way down to the beach to watch the start. We missed the men go, but made it in time to watch the women go out.

I was grateful that I made the right choice standing on shore that day. I know it was worth not putting my knee at risk. Kirsty and I chatted with Bodie’s parents for a bit, watched Noic come in after one lap of the course because he wanted to save his energy for the tech race, and even chat with April Zilg and her husband Corey. We also shared quite the laughs cheer-warning athletes about the second sandbar at the finish line. We kept screaming “watch the hole! Its deep!” and athlete after athlete just continued tripping into the finish line. I could only imagine that if I was them, after completing that treacherous course… I would probably be falling in the hole as well.

Photo: Georgia Schofield / Semi final heat

Saturday morning I woke up nervous about competing in the tech race. Dropping out of the distance race really shook my confidence. I walked down to the water with Kirsty and we chatted about a game plan. I called my parents to also discuss about what I should do. The conditions had calmed down greatly since the day before so I decided to race but take calculated risks. I was going to race, but try to have a clean and slow run in and out of the water. I put my headphones in, dressed into my team Canada uniform and walked towards registration. I brought my board to the start, the horn blew, and I skipped with my board past the first sand bar. I jumped on my board and sprinted at the start. I was in third place for a moment, then dropped to fourth. I sat comfortably there until the very last buoy when Jiwon came right up from behind me. We sprinted towards the sand but Jiwon jumped off her board first. I continued to paddle, then stepped off my board gently (still thinking about my knee) and then RAN! I RAN as fast as my little legs could take me to the finish line! I just beat Jiwon at the flags for a final sprint finish. I guess a race is never over until its truly over eh? The sprint allowed me to claim a spot in the semi finals on Sunday. I competed in the semi’s the next day but finished 7th in my heat. I mentally wasn’t all there and it showed in my results.

Jiwon and I after our semi-final heat

I learned so much about myself as an athlete in Poland. I learned how to make the best possible decisions for yourself and your health, even when it’s hard. I learned just truly how much passion for SUP runs through my veins, and that I only want to work so much harder after watching a lot of inspiring performances put on by athletes like Michael Booth. Most especially I learned that I will not be giving up on my SUP dreams anytime soon. I cannot wait to come back to another world championship fully recovered from an injury and ready to give it my all. Watch out world… because I’ll be ready! But until then, it’s more training for now!

With much love always,

- Maddi xoxo :)