The Warriors of Hope had a special guest speaker to their AGM on February 12, 2014, Kim Crumpton. Kim is an elite sprint canoeist, kayaker and dragon boat racer.

Kim described her life-long experiences, starting at the age of 12, in various paddling sports and highlighted many of her race experiences and accomplishments both nationally and internationally.

Woven through her narrative were several main points of specific interest to the Warriors of Hope:

1. Kim’s passion is C1 sprint racing, but her boat of choice is the outrigger, of which she has two. This boat is ideal for paddling in any style but is exceptionally suited for solo training with a dragon boat paddle and paddling motion. Boats cost in the $1800 to $2000 range, and they are very light, transportable, and age-friendly. Steering is done with a foot pedal, and the boats are very difficult to tip over.
2. Think of yourself as a “high performance athlete”, and anything is possible,
3. Set short-term achievable goals and have a daily plan that works towards long-term goals.
4. Avoid overtraining. Adjust training routines in times of injury or sickness. You can always do something. (E.g. If you can’t run, run in a pool.)

A great article about Kim can be viewed on the North Bay Nugget website, “Crumpton wins three gold at master’s nationals”.