Introducing Tasha

Hi, as this is my first entry on the Palm blog – I thought I’d let you know a bit about me, 

first thing – my name is Tasha, but you should know that by now! I’m 14 years old and I’ve been paddling seriously for 18 months.

I first started paddling one holiday down in Cornwall on a sit on top with my dad, early on I realised slalom wasn’t for me because I managed to hit the only windsurfer in the water!

When we got back home, I wanted to get the hang of steering so had a bit of coaching at the mighty Nene (which is near where I live), and on the less mighty and very flat Great Ouse.

My break through came at the Nene Youth Freestyle last year, before I tried the competition – I’d always been a bit iffy around the idea of competitions but once I tried freestyle I was hooked.

After the Nene I really started to try and get some freestyle skills, I competed again at the Nene and at HPP – and one of my coaches suggested going to the GB selections in December.

 Selections were interesting, a freeeeeeeezing day at Hurley and a dirty water day at HPP put me into the team as reserve for the Europeans this summer – as I write this I’m thinking in 3 weeks time I’ll be at the opening!

In the future I want to keep learning freestyle and compete some more, I also want to do more and more river running – especially in the winter when sitting upside is not so good.

My plans for the summer are a week at the Europeans in July, then I’m lucky enough to be going back to the Alps with another Palm paddler – Lowri Davies for 10 days seeing what big water we can find.

On my blog, I’ll try and keep you up to date as I learn freestyle (as you all know it’s a long journey and I’m only just setting out) and as I try and run some bigger and bigger rivers.

Hope to see you on the water, look out for a few pictures from Europe soon

Say hi if you see me – this is what I look like! (This is me at Llangollen last winter – Palm-tastic!)

In the meantime – if you want to find out more about me, check out the interview in the current issue of Paddles magazine

See you

Tasha

xx