Callie-Ann Halliday's Blog

11.8.2011: My year so far

After working hard all winter doing many hours of training with Worcester Canoe Club, including weights, circuits, swimming, running, core stability and as much white water training as I could access, either at The International White Water centre at Nottingham, Cardiff White Water Centre or Canolfan Tryweryn, North Wales. I was very disappointed not to make the times needed during the junior selection in order to get onto the GB junior slalom team.

After the initial disappointment I went on to compete in the domestic league at Shepperton, North Wales and Nottingham before travelling to Scotland at Easter for a two week training and competition programme. It was great experience and I was able to represent England in the first leg of the Pan Celtic slalom, I competed in under 18's ladies K1 and in both the individual junior ladies C1 and the junior ladies C1 team. This was the first time of representing my country.

I then went on to the second leg of the Pan Celtic cup which was held in Nottingham and I raced in both junior ladies individual C1 and the junior ladies C1 team where we beat the junior boys C1 team.

My best result of the year so far was my trip to compete in the premier division slalom in Cardiff, where I finished 5^th.

In June I travelled to Germany as the GB junior ladies reserve for the World Freestyle Kayaking Championship. Although I wasn't needed to compete, I was able to access all the training and make many friends from all over the world, and it was a wonderful experience to be part of such a large scale event.

On returning to England I met up with my C2 partner from Bedford and we entered a few slaloms and managed to get promotion into the top division in the country for C2.

I have just returned from an international slalom site in The French Alps called Argentiere la Besee, where I spent just over two weeks training, with a competition at the end, where I came 2^nd, only being beaten by the German lady C1 paddler.

I am currently ranked 7^th in GB for ladies C1 (4^th junior) and 11^th in GB for C2 (3^rd junior).

I wouldn't be having such a great year if it wasn't for your help.

16.11.2011: Update

I have recently completed my league slaloms and have been placed in the top few in the last three premier races, which took place at the Tees Barrage in the North East, where I was placed 4th. This was also an international race so I was representing England as their under 18 C1 lady. In Llangollen in North Wales I was placed 3^rd and finally in the British Open which was in Nottingham and was my best race of the season. I finished 5^th after qualifying for the finals. Altrhough 5^th doesn't sound the best, it was a race where the standard was much higher than the other races and I was only beaten by full GB team members with international experience.

I have now started my winter training programme and hope that I can keep up my motivation during the long cold months when I am training up to 20 hours a week. This training consists of a combination of Gym sessions (for strength, conditioning and core body stability), swimming and running for my cardiovascular training and a couple of flat water sessions in Worcester to work on my speed and technique. These will be fitted in with my weekly training sessions on the white water at Cardiff and Nottingham.

I have finished with a ranking of 7^th in Great Britain overall and this is an improvement of 3 places over the year.

Please click here to see me in my new canoe which I was able to buy after receiving The Joanna Brown Trust Sports Grant - Malvern Hills.