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The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 21, 2006 - 3 P a d d lin g u p s tre a m By W ilma Blokhuis OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Sheila Kuyper paddles hard. "I'm living my dream...my- pas sion," said Kuyper, 42, whose level of physical fitness makes her appear years younger. "Paddling has changed my life. I had no idea along what path it would lead me. It has taken me from compet itive athlete to coach and advocate and allowed me to expand into other pad dling sports. There are a lot of kayak athletes, but not many sprint canoe athletes. There's not a lot of crossover. I know some dragon boaters who would make incredible sprint canoeists." The Senior Women's Canadian gold medal champion in women' s sprint canoe is paddling with deter mination into the international scene -- not to compete, but for world recognition of a viable women's sport. Unable to get answers as to why women's sprint canoe is not on the international stage, unlike m en's events, Kuyper has added advocacy to her regimen of training, competing and coaching. The winner of last year's ninth annual ATHENA Award, Kuyper is pleased people are finally beginning to notice her passion for women's sprint canoe -- now that she's earned some respect. "I remember paddling with Sheila at a training camp in Florida in 1996, where 15 or more national teams from around the world were training for the upcoming Olympics in Atlanta," wrote Wendy Perkins, Kuyper's nominator and fellow paddler, in an e-mail to ATHENA organ izers after Kuyper received the stat uette in October. "As we went past a dock where a gathering of Olympic coaches were, they grumbled and showed obvious signs of displeasure at seeing Sheila, a woman, paddle an Oiympic-style canoe -- and one of them leaned towards us and spat at her." That disgusting display of disre spect galvanized her determination to put women's canoeing in the lime light beside men' s events. "Many, many times in those years, she was denied use of the best boats or equipment," Perkins continued. "She was told, `What's the point, you're not going anywhere in this sport anyway.' But she continued to ask for access for women to the boats, the coaching and the opportunities. "Sheila has faced constant dis pleasure and ridicule, and has found the strength to carry on." For this reason, Perkins was con vinced Kuyper deserved to win the ATHENA Award. "It is not for her sporting achieve ments that I recommended her to. you for consideration as a worthy ATHENA candidate," wrote Perkins. "It is her passion for inspiring peo ple, for coaching and for excellence that is infectious. "Teachers and trailblazers can affect eternity," wrote Perkins. "Sheila is a teacher, a mentor and a pioneer who has blazed a trail to fol low in Canada and around the world. She has influenced the paddling com munity worldwide by championing women' s access to the sport of sprint canoe, in much the same way that women have achieved access to the sport of hockey in recent years." Kuyper encourages others to share in her passion. For the last dozen years, she's traveled, often at her own expense, to coach in Russia, Europe, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico and the United States. Recently, she was in California to train and promote women' s canoeing. "Working often against severely entrenched opposition, she persists, challenges and supports programs, flying wherever necessary and spend ing whatever it takes for women to take the next step," wrote Perkins. "In each country, as at home, she does all that it takes to equip women to take up the sport. Through Sheila' s effort, our Canadian leadership in bringing equal opportunity in the sport for women is now recognized worldwide. "With vibrant energy and enthusi asm, Sheila has changed attitudes, inspired a generation of women and LI ESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER DETERMINED: Sheila Kuyper at the Burloak Canoe Club with her ATHENA Award -- picked up for her tenacity in promoting her sport of sprint canoe. enriched the lives of countless people in our country and in many others. ".Her physical prowess on the water is illustrated by her still-stand ing record of eight Canadian champi onship gold medals," said Perkins' nomination. She earned that record in 1997-1998. "I've had significant success," mused Kuyper recently, "but the most rewarding part is being able to give back to the sport of canoeing." Her thoughts turn to Mallorie Nicholson, a paddler in her late teens who has- reached the highest level in national competition and participat ed in an exhibition race at the Pan American Canoe competition in LacBeauport, Quebec, last summer. "She's devoted five years to the sport and her international opportunities are limited. Through WomenCan, I hope to have this changed." ' Nicholson described her mentor as "one of those stubborn, talented, strong women who refused to take no for an answer," in her letter support ing Kuyper's nomination. "She works from the club level to the international scene, promoting the sport she loves to women of all ages," said Nicholson. "She is also try ing to ensure that there is a future for those who wish to go further. "She is the person that I called for mentoring prior to my most impor tant race (last) year, the National Team Trails in Dartmouth, N.S. I knew that an early morning paddle with Sheila was what I needed for the boost in spirit and confidence to do what I had to do. And it worked. In the world of canoeing and coaching, there is no one like Sheila and I am eternal ly grateful for knowing her and for what she has done for my sport" Kuyper founded WomenCan in 1998 to lobby for women's sprint canoe and inspire young women to pursue "the Canadian sport" of sprint See Fem ale p a g e 4 . CALIFORNIA & PLANTATION SHUTTERS W o o d 8c v i n y l s h u t t e r s s u p p l i e d 8c i n s t a l l e d . H ig h Q u a lity a t A ffo rd a b le P ric e s . W e a ls o c a r r y a fu ll lin e o f vinylbilt HunterDouglas Platinum Winner in "Best Shutters" category SHUTTERS ETC. Sew ing; O akville w ith Shop a t H om e Sew ice w w w . s 11 u t t e r s e t c . c a W INDOW FASHIONS A u th o r iz e d V im lb ilt d e a le r (905)6914455