Emily Evans appointed as new Welsh SUP Lead

Canoe Wales is today delighted to announce the appointment of Emily Evans as the new Stand up PaddleBoarding (SUP) Lead for Wales.



The newly created lead officer role is in response to the recent recognition status for Canoe Wales as the National Governing Body for Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) in Wales. Emily will be responsible for implementing the recommendations of the recent MAIB Report into the Haverfordwest tragedy which includes urgent developments with regards to SUP governance, training provision and training standards in Wales.

Living in Bridgend, South Wales, Emily is no stranger to the Welsh SUP community. She turned to SUP following a career as a white-water paddler, raft guide and triathlete. This included competing for Great Britain in international white water rafting events and being part of the British team which won the world rafting championships in 2016 and the European championships in 2018.

Emily has since turned her attention towards SUP racing and development and has achieved numerous successes on the GBSUP racing series and a bronze medal in the sprint event at the European SUP championships in 2022. Emily has also been supporting others with their SUP development and provided bespoke tuition to SUP clubs and individuals, including Cardiff Bay Racers and Canoe Avon. She has also been involved in SUP development programmes, including designing youth development programmes.

Speaking of her appointment, Emily said:

I am over the moon to be appointed as SUP Lead for Wales and to have opportunity to work with Canoe Wales and the Welsh SUP community. This is a really exciting time as together we build an even safer future for all participants in Stand Up Paddleboarding. I’m excited to be part of that development.

I have a strong love for paddling and the SUP community and I have experienced incredible support as a paddler through my personal paddling journey. That support sums up the community as a whole, SUP is more than a sport, I love seeing paddlers come together to share their own journeys and love for the water. The implementation of new strategies I hope, will extend this connection between all organisations and key stake holders who have such a wealth of SUP experience and knowledge. I look forward to working with each of these individually and together in the coming months.

Alistair Dickson, Canoe Wales CEO, commented:

We are delighted to be welcoming Emily to the Canoe Wales team. With such a strong background in white-water paddling and raft racing, Emily is no stranger to the Canoe Wales community. Her extensive experience of all things SUP coupled with her calm and capable manner, will undoubtedly help bring the SUP community of Wales together to benefit from enhanced governance, training provision and safety standards. We can’t wait for Emily to get started.

Deborah Mahon, Sport Wales, said: 

I am delighted that Emily has been appointed to the role of SUP Lead for Wales. Emily takes on the crucial responsibility of leading the development and consistency in safety messages and standards, working with British Canoeing and the wider SUP community. Sport Wales will be supporting Emily and the team at Canoe Wales as they develop SUP in Wales, and work to improve safety for all those who take part in this popular and fast-growing activity.

We are looking forward to Emily joining the Canoe Wales team early September 2023.