My name is Oli Kershaw and paddling is my life.
No matter what I'm doing, it's on my mind. Whether it's wondering where the next trip's going to be, working out what I can sell to pay for it, or deciding whether an ant-sized me would take the left-hand boof or the centre life off that leaf on the way to the drain.
I started paddling through my scout troop when I was about 10, though I only really paddled on our summer camps. It wasn't until I was about 15 I decided I wanted to do a lot more and joined my local canoe club and starting play boating in the pool sessions. I was very lucky to find both my Scout leaders and coaches at the canoe club were happy to take me out and on trips without my parents around (they don't paddle!) and I had a couple of weekends away at the big waters of Chertsey, The Nene, Symond's Yat, the Dart loop and Lower Tryweryn.
By this point I had watched every all the videos of Rush Sturges, Evan Garcia, Aniol Serrasolses, Steve Fisher, the Jacksons etc etc about 400 times each, and was hooked! I had to get creek boating!
Luckily, in November 2011 I found Andy Holt (from Escape to Adventure) who was willing to take me up to Scotland for my first real experience of river running and creeking. As expected, it was a real baptism of fire (I might've lied about my experience!). Andy showed us some of the classic Grade 4s in the area, and even a Grade 5 drop by the end of the week (I wouldn't stop nagging!).
It hasn't stopped since then really, I've scraped every last penny to pay for that next trip, and I don't see that stopping any time soon!
As much as I love pushing myself and testing my own limits, I love helping other people improve their paddling too. I love the satisfaction of knowing you've helped someone enjoy this sport just that little bit more. Whether it's getting a friend into the right mental state to step up and run something bigger than they ever imagined they could or taking somebody out for their first time in a boat, watching other people start to love the sport as much as I do is something I love to see. The look on their face when they achieve their goals helps that feeling too! The love for helping other people improve, and wanting to do everything I could to ensure everyone got a chance to try paddling, and find out how brilliant is for themselves led me down the BCU coaching and guiding pathway and I am now a qualified coach and leader in both canoe and kayak.
See you on the water
No matter what I'm doing, it's on my mind. Whether it's wondering where the next trip's going to be, working out what I can sell to pay for it, or deciding whether an ant-sized me would take the left-hand boof or the centre life off that leaf on the way to the drain.
I started paddling through my scout troop when I was about 10, though I only really paddled on our summer camps. It wasn't until I was about 15 I decided I wanted to do a lot more and joined my local canoe club and starting play boating in the pool sessions. I was very lucky to find both my Scout leaders and coaches at the canoe club were happy to take me out and on trips without my parents around (they don't paddle!) and I had a couple of weekends away at the big waters of Chertsey, The Nene, Symond's Yat, the Dart loop and Lower Tryweryn.
By this point I had watched every all the videos of Rush Sturges, Evan Garcia, Aniol Serrasolses, Steve Fisher, the Jacksons etc etc about 400 times each, and was hooked! I had to get creek boating!
Luckily, in November 2011 I found Andy Holt (from Escape to Adventure) who was willing to take me up to Scotland for my first real experience of river running and creeking. As expected, it was a real baptism of fire (I might've lied about my experience!). Andy showed us some of the classic Grade 4s in the area, and even a Grade 5 drop by the end of the week (I wouldn't stop nagging!).
It hasn't stopped since then really, I've scraped every last penny to pay for that next trip, and I don't see that stopping any time soon!
As much as I love pushing myself and testing my own limits, I love helping other people improve their paddling too. I love the satisfaction of knowing you've helped someone enjoy this sport just that little bit more. Whether it's getting a friend into the right mental state to step up and run something bigger than they ever imagined they could or taking somebody out for their first time in a boat, watching other people start to love the sport as much as I do is something I love to see. The look on their face when they achieve their goals helps that feeling too! The love for helping other people improve, and wanting to do everything I could to ensure everyone got a chance to try paddling, and find out how brilliant is for themselves led me down the BCU coaching and guiding pathway and I am now a qualified coach and leader in both canoe and kayak.
See you on the water