A COLWYN Bay sports coach has been named the best in Wales.

Colwyn Canoe Club coach Carys Owen, of Bodffordd on Anglesey, has been awarded the Coach of the Year 2018 Award by national governing body for canoeing and kayaking Canoe Wales.

Carys was nominated for the award by the club’s youngest member, Phoebe who was aged four when she joined the club with her mum Eleanor Owen last year, and recognises her work in more than doubling the clubs membership from 40 to 100 in five years.

 

One of the club's youngest members, Phoebe Owen - who nominated Carys - with club chair Andy Jones

Club chair, Andy Jones, said: "This award to Carys is richly deserved and displays the progress we are making in getting more and more people out in the water and having fun.

“We are delighted that the club is moving from strength to strength and the efforts of all the coaches and volunteers are enabling so many to take part in our sport.

As part of their aim to encourage more people across a larger age group to take up the sport, the club has removed the previous lower age limit of 12 and purchased special equipment to open up the sport.

In the recent years the efforts of Carys, the coaches and club volunteers have allowed the club to develop and promote paddle sports including white water kayaking, open canoeing, sea kayaking along with stand up paddle boarding in the area.

The presentation took place in December at one of the club’s Friday night pool training sessions, with Lowri Davies of Canoe Wales, one of Europe’s top freestyle kayakers and coaches, presenting the award.

During the evening the club were also given demonstration of Lowri’s freestyle skills as well as receiving a coaching workshop.

For more information on the club visit canoecolwyn.org.uk.