Brooke and Jesi returned home from the Ottawa River in Northern Ontario in mid-September, after competing in the US Team Trails, with exciting successes and an incredible learning experience under their belts. The results were especially impressive as both FIBArk Paddling Team members made Salida proud competing against the top junior female paddlers in North America.

Brooke, 14 and Jesi, 16 were training with Huge Experiences a whitewater kayaking program which specializes in training the top young freestyle paddlers in the Country. Both girls raised all the money for their trip to Canada through the generosity of their sponsors, which are listed below.

The girls paddled every day starting at 6am, after training four a few hours the girls worked with tutors to keep up on their school work. Paddling twice a day for two weeks leading up to the competition Jesi and Brooke were being coached by some of the elite professional freestyle kayakers in the world. Both girls made incredible strides in their goal towards becoming professional freestyle kayakers.

When the competition began all of the top junior girls from both the United States and Canada were competing against each other with a spot representing their respective countries at the World Championships in Austria, on the line. There were two days of competition with both day’s results being used to select the four girls who would represent the United States in the under 18, junior class at the Worlds.

In the first day of competition Brooke had an outstanding day coming in first of the girls from the US and first overall beating all of the Canadian girls as well. Jesi fared well too as she placed seventh overall and fifth in the competition to make the US team, putting her in position to make the Team on the second day.

The second day of competition provided a tremendous challenge for both of our girls with fluctuating water levels and a protest by one of the competitors, which resulted in the Junior Girls division having to run the second day of competition twice. Jesi slipped in the second run from third to fifth putting her one spot off the team in fifth overall. Brooke came in first on the US team and third overall on this day placing her on the US National Team as the First boat!

Brooke will be traveling to Austria next May as a member of the US National Team competing for the title of World Champion. Jesi will continue to train and get ready for a busy competition schedule next summer.

The Arkansas River Trust is so proud of both girls. Not only how quickly their kayaking skills have progressed but the young women they have become. Whitewater kayaking and the skills all members of the FIBArk Paddling Team learn on the river have helped both Jesi and Brooke become incredible representatives of the Arkansas River Valley and Salida. With a little support, local young people are learning to set and achieve goals through our unique program, the FIBArk Paddling Team. For more information on how you or your business can help support local young people email us directly or check out our corporate partnership program here.

Pictures of the girls in Canada coming soon!

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