EMPADDLERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Regional Pathway Coach ( Northern )
Job Titles:
- Coaching Administrative Lead
Job Titles:
- Head Coach U23 's Canoe Sprint
Job Titles:
- Lead Lee Valley Regional Pathway Coach - Slalom
Job Titles:
- Head of Performance
- Head of Performance Operations
Job Titles:
- Sports Development Manager
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chairman
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- British Canoeing CEO
Job Titles:
- Director of Digital Transformation and IT
Job Titles:
- Environmental Project Officer
New to the World Class Programme for 2019, 2018 saw Ben have a fantastic season with a lifetime best of 10th place at the Junior World Championships in Ivrea in the individual C1 category. At the Junior European Championships in Bratislava Ben competed in the C1 Junior team with team-mates Peter Linksted and Sam Maingay and were 4th overall, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal by less than a second.
Ben discovered canoeing when he went swimming aged 8 and saw a poster advertising canoeing at the pool, he has never looked back since then. For someone getting into canoeing, Ben would say, "GO FOR IT, it will be the best decision you make and you will gain great experiences and friends along the way."
Job Titles:
- Strength and Conditioning Pathway Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Head of Access & Environment
Job Titles:
- IT Support and Admin Assistant
Bethan is the current U23 C1 World Champion
Having made her senior team debut in 2018 at just 16-years-of age, Bethan competes in both the C1 and K1 classes.
Forbes-Cryans started canoeing at CR Cats Canoe Club in Alva, Scotland, and becomes the fourth paddler from the club to represent Team GB, following in the footsteps of double Olympian Fiona Pennie, 2004 Olympic silver medallist Campbell Walsh and, C2 paddler Craig Brown from Atlanta 1996.
He was also part of the BOA's Olympic Ambitions programme at the Rio 2016 Games.
2018 was Bradley's most successful season to date, qualifying for his first European Championships final where he came eighth and backed this up with ninth and fifth places in the finals of the first two World Cups.
The highlight of his season was winning a silver medal at the U23 World Championships in Ivrea, followed by a K1 Team gold medal at the World Championships in Rio with Joe Clarke and Chris Bowers.
In 2016 he won silver at World Cup 5 in Tacen which led to third place in the overall World Cup standings.
Bradley, who started canoeing when he was 10 years old, also likes to ski and lifts weights when he's not out on the water in his kayak.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Academy Coach Canoe Sprint
Job Titles:
- Head of Performance Support
Bronagh Kennedy - Chief Legal Officer, Secretary
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- General Counsel
- Independent Director
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- Chairman of British Canoeing 's HR and Remuneration Committee
Bronagh Kennedy is a highly experienced Company Secretary and General Counsel who has worked for Severn Trent since June 2011. Previously Bronagh held a similar role at Mitchells & Butlers, where she worked for 15 years. Prior to that she was a Senior Associate at Allen & Overy.
With a demonstrable track record of success at a senior level with significant HR experience, Bronagh is also the Chair of British Canoeing's HR and Remuneration Committee.
Job Titles:
- Access and Environment Officer
Job Titles:
- Talent Club Partnership Manager
Charlie joined the World Class Programme with British Canoeing in 2018 and had a solid first year of Sprint International competition. He competed in the Under 23 European Championships in Auronzo and finished 9th in the K2 1000m race with fellow paddler Zyggy Chmiel. Charlie also competed in Plovdiz at the World Under 23 Championships finishing 14th in the men's K1 200m.
Before he became a programme athlete, 2017 was an extremely successful year for Charlie who won Silver medals in both the K1 Marathon World and European Championships. In the Junior European Championships during July in Pitesti, he came 7th in the K1 1000m. He also won the K1 Leighton Buzzard Remembrance Race at his home race in Leighton Buzzard
Charlotte Henshaw became Paralympic Champion at her first Games as a paracanoe athlete, claiming gold in the women's KL2 event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Charlotte then went on to win her fourth and fifth World Championship titles just two weeks later in Copenhagen, winning the women's KL2 event, but also retaining the women's VL3 title, an event recently announced to the Paralympic programme in Paris 2024.
Since making the switch from para-swimming after the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Charlotte has had an exceptional career in paracanoe to date, achieving a podium in every race she has started internationally.
Charlotte also has a number of European Champion and World Cup medals too her name, including gold during the emphatic 2019 season where she claimed four titles in one year.
Charlotte started her paddling career with a silver at the 2017 European Championships.
Tokyo was Charlotte's fourth Paralympic Games having competed at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016 all in para-swimming, where she claimed a silver in London and a bronze in Rio.
Job Titles:
- Digital Marketing and Communications Officer
Job Titles:
- Physiotherapist - Paracanoe
Job Titles:
- Director of Recreational Paddling
Job Titles:
- Performance Director ( Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe )
Job Titles:
- Paddle Site and Facilities Lead
Job Titles:
- Podium Potential Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- Member of the Nominations Committee
- Director Nominated by the English Forum )
- England Director
- Member of Birmingham Canoe Club
- Member of the Committee
Clare is a member of Birmingham Canoe Club, and is Chair of British Canoeing's West Midland's Regional Committee. Clare is also a UKCC Level 2 Coach and 4 Star Leader in both canoe and kayak.
Clare works within the NHS and is an Associate Director of Organisational Development and Culture. Her portfolio of responsibility includes Leadership Development, Staff Engagement, Health and Well-Being and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Clare has a Masters in Business Administration and holds the Institute of Leadership and Management Executive Coaching and Mentoring Award.
Job Titles:
- IT Support Service Manager
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Podium Technical Coach - Slalom
- Technical Coach
Job Titles:
- England National Talent Coach - Slalom
- Talent Coach
Daniel started paddling in 2008 and is currently studying for a degree in Sports Science at St Mary's University in London.
Job Titles:
- Talent Operations Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Head of Coaching & Partnerships
David Florence is one of the world's top men's slalom canoeists. He is a three time Olympic silver medallist, a three time World Champion and has won more than 25 World Cup medals including 9 gold. He has been a member of the senior team since 2000 representing Great Britain for an incredible 19 years and is now embarking on his quest to be selected for his fourth successive Olympic Games.
He topped the podium once again in 2018 with C1 gold at World Cup 2 in Krakow. He also won C1 Team bronze at the World Championships in Rio.
David won a second successive silver medal with Richard Hounslow in the Men's C2 at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He is the first British Canoe Slalom athlete to attend three successive Games and the first athlete in the history of canoe slalom to have won Olympic medals in more than one class, having first won silver in C1 in Beijing in 2008.
In 2015 David Florence had an outstanding season, becoming World Champion in C1 for the second time in his career, claiming the victory on his home course at Lee Valley White Water Centre. At the 2013 World Championships in Prague Florence became the first paddler in 60 years to win both the C1 and C2 titles in the same year, also making him the first ever British paddler to win a C1 and C2 World title.
With the C2 no longer on the Olympic programme for 2020, David is fully focused on the men's C1 class.
David has a degree in Mathematical Physics from Nottingham University.
Job Titles:
- Logistics Officer and Fleet Manager - Sprint & Paracanoe
Job Titles:
- Digital Learning Designer
Job Titles:
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- President
- President ( No Voting Rights )
Job Titles:
- Performance Lifestyle - Sprint, Paracanoe & Slalom
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Academy Coach Canoe Sprint
Job Titles:
- Head of Events and International Affairs
Job Titles:
- Podium Programme Technical Coach - Slalom
Job Titles:
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- Director Nominated by the English Forum )
- England Director
Greg has experience working in many outdoor pursuits including canoeing, caving and gorge walking. He spent time canyoning at a leading outdoor centre delivering services to a local college serving some of the most deprived communities in the region.
He has galvanised communities and shaped strategy as a volunteer within areas such as early years care and education, junior tennis, school governance, sport and physical education.
Greg has coordinated events at every scale from village fetes to international symposia and provided practical support to groups of passionate people to enable them to do great things.
Greg has plenty of experience working with the staff and volunteers at British Canoeing.
Job Titles:
- Recreational Programmes Lead
Job Titles:
- Coach / Performance Analyst
Job Titles:
- Diversity & Inclusion Lead
Job Titles:
- Psychology Consultant - Canoe Slalom Programme
Job Titles:
- England National Talent Coach - Slalom
Job Titles:
- Pathway Development Coach ( Sprint )
Job Titles:
- Content and Media Officer
- Senior PR and Communications Officer
Job Titles:
- Clubs Senior Area Development Officer
Job Titles:
- Content and Campaigns Officer
Job Titles:
- Legal and Governance Officer / Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Job Titles:
- Coaching and Course Advisor
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Physical Preparation Coach - Sprint
With a 40 year career in higher education, Professor John Coyne was Vice Chancellor at the University of Derby for 11 years, before retiring in July 2015. His contribution to the sector was recognised in the 2015 New Year's Honours List when he was awarded a CBE for services to higher education.
John is well known in the business sector and sat on the Board of D2N2 - the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and was a commissioner of the UK Commission on Employment and Skills. He is also currently a non-executive director of CFE Research and Consultancy Ltd.
Job Titles:
- Psychology Consultant - Para Programme
Job Titles:
- Qualifications Administrator
Job Titles:
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- Canoe Wales Director
- Director Nominated by Canoe Wales )
Kerry Chown has over 25 years in senior HR roles, with an MSc in Human Resource Management.
Having founded Cobalt HR in 2016, she works with organisations to help them raise business performance by implementing robust people management practices. These include employee engagement, recognition and reward and performance management, alongside providing general operational support.
Kerry works with many sport organisations and other third sector bodies, plus a range of private sector businesses.
Kerry holds a number of Non-Executive Director roles in sport organisations and in the private sector, including being elected as Chair of Canoe Wales in 2020.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Podium Coach Kayak Women ( Sprint )
Job Titles:
- Performance Operations Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Director of Coaching and Qualifications
- Head of Coaching and Qualifications
Job Titles:
- Regional Pathway Coach ( Central )
Job Titles:
- Academy Programme Technical Coach ( Canoe Slalom )
- Technical Coach
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Podium Potential Coach
Job Titles:
- Head Coach - Slalom
- Performance Director ( Canoe Slalom )
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
- Independent Director
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
Martine is a full time Judge with tickets to sit on cases in Family, Civil and Crime. She is also a qualified mediator and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration. When at the Bar she specialised in Family and Civil work and was ranked as a Leading Junior. She has excellent problem solving capabilities and a wealth of legal, advisory and governance experience.
Martine has extensive board advisory experience and is currently a member of the Star Club Rowing Board and since 2019, also sits on British Canoeing's National Disputes and Disciplinary Panel.
Job Titles:
- Technical Coach - Paracanoe
Job Titles:
- Performance Analyst - Sprint
Job Titles:
- Director of Governance and Compliance
- Member of the Committee
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Lead Coach, Academy Programme - Slalom
Job Titles:
- Clear Access, Clear Waters Communications Lead
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Independent Director
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee
Nick is a chartered accountant and spent most of his executive career in investment banking where he was Managing Director and Head of UK Equity Capital Markets for HSBC.
He has a track record of advising boards of major UK PLCs in raising finance and attracting a diverse investor base. He has previous Non-Executive Director experience with Leicester Tigers Rugby Club and England Squash.
He is currently an independent member of the sports broadcast monitoring committee.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Podium Coach Kayak Men ( Sprint )
Job Titles:
- Clubs Area Development Officer
Job Titles:
- Governance Support Administrator
Job Titles:
- Waterways and Environment Policy Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- Member of the Committee
- Vice Chair ( Independent )
- Vice Chair of British Canoeing )
- Vice Chairman ( Senior Independent )
Richard has been an active paddler for most of his life, with a particular love for white water kayaking. Richard is also a voluntary coach at his local Canoe Club, Basingstoke Canal, where he is a past Chairman and a current committee member.
Professionally, Richard is involved in business technology. He began his career in building leading edge software systems for various companies and is now a technology leader with over 25 years experience working with businesses to help them deliver their digital strategies. Richard has worked with senior executives in a wide variety of organisations, helping them to bring new thinking and to apply digital technologies to their business operations.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Podium Technical Coach - Slalom
- Technical Coach
Job Titles:
- Director of Business Development and Communications
Job Titles:
- Talent Inclusion Co - Ordinator
Job Titles:
- Clubs Area Development Officer - South East
Job Titles:
- PR & Communications Manager
Job Titles:
- Maintenance and Adaptation Technician
Job Titles:
- Head of Membership and Customer Service
Job Titles:
- British Canoeing Performance Coach Developer
- Performance
Job Titles:
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- CANI Director
- Director Nominated by the Canoe Association of Northern Ireland )
Stephen started canoeing while at school and has been an active club paddler for most of his life. He is now one of the coach educators in the Canoe Association of Northern Ireland (CANI). Stephen joined CANI in the 70's and was elected to the Council in the 80's. He served as Treasurer for 10 years before accepting his current post of President in 2008.
His career started as an engineer with a TV rental company and went on to set up his own repair and maintenance business for electronics and central heating. In 2004 he changed tack and moved into working in the outdoor pursuits / team management industry. He is now working freelance in the outdoor industry and training groups for the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Job Titles:
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- Director Nominated by the Scottish Canoe Association )
- Scottish Canoe Association
Steve started paddling in the mid 1980's as a teenager with the Scouts and with Forest Canoe Club. Steve became a coach in 1988 and also competed in Slalom until the mid 1990s, when his sailing interests saw him racing a Dart 18 catamaran instead. He came back to paddling in 2009 and now coaches several times a week.
Steve is a member of Stirling and Falkirk Canoe Club, a member of the British Canoeing Slalom Committee, the Regional Officer for the Central Scotland region and a Director of the Scottish Canoe Association. For his day job, Steve is an Air Traffic Controller at Glasgow Prestwick Airport and also holds a private pilot's licence to crown a lifelong love of aviation.
Job Titles:
- Performance Operations Lead and Technical Coach - Paracanoe
Job Titles:
- Learning and Development Advisor
Job Titles:
- Vacant - Coaching Advisor
Job Titles:
- Nutrition Support - Sprint
Job Titles:
- Physical Preparation Specialist - Slalom
Job Titles:
- Digital Learning Designer
Job Titles:
- Member of the British Canoeing Board
- Director Nominated by the English Forum )
- England Director
- Member of Wombourne Kayak Club
Zoey is an active member of Wombourne Kayak Club and a volunteer Kayak instructor for the Roundhouse Birmingham and recently became a Sessional Instructor for the Sea cadets. Zoey was a Steering Committee Board Member for West Midlands Manufacturing Club for 5 years.
Zoey qualified as an accountant before entering her current profession within engineering 20 years ago where she has worked as an employed and freelance consultant working with manufacturing businesses, public sector and private companies.
She supports women in engineering, annually assisting events giving talks and educational support.
Job Titles:
- Performance
- Performance Wellbeing Coach