U19s GB Rafting Team - European Championships

Hi! Thanks for visiting our page

We are the GB U19s Whitewater Rafting team, a team of young people who have been rafting together for less than a year at Holme Pierrepont whitewater centre in Nottingham. We are delighted to have recently been selected to represent Great Britain at the forthcoming European Rafting Championships in the Czech Republic. We think this is a great testament to our hard work and how far we have managed to come in a short space of time under the leadership of our brilliant coaches, Joel, Beth and the 2 Matts!

This is an amazing opportunity and although we are lucky to have use of race specification rafts, we will have to fund our own kit and specialist equipment, competition entry fees, travel and accommodation costs. First priority - get some decent paddles! We are hoping initially to raise £5000 between us towards our costs and would be extremely grateful for any support that you are able to provide. You can make an individual donation on this page and leave us a message.

If you or your organisation might be interested in sponsoring our team, we’d also be keen to hear from you. We would be happy to acknowledge sponsorship on our team kit, social media and other appropriate platforms. Please contact [email redacted].uk to discuss further.

Meet the team

Eddy (17) I have a passion for extreme sports so, as well as rafting I am a whitewater stand-up paddleboarder and downhill mountain biker. I am looking to progress to become a raft guide and whitewater SUP coach.

Emily (16) I have been stand up paddle boarding for 3 years and have recently progressed to whitewater SUP. I’ve been rafting for just over a year and I’m enjoying learning and developing my paddling.

George (15) I started off freestyle kayaking and have been rafting for 15 months.

Jack (16) I enjoy all adventure sports, but I am happiest on the waves. I love kayaking, surfing and whitewater rafting. The challenge and excitement of competing is just the best!

Jacob (14) White water rafting is something that I’ve recently taken up and straight away I was hooked! I already loved being on the water having kayaked from a young age. Currently, as well as rafting, I am actively involved in freestyle kayaking and squirt boating. All of my free time is, in fact, spent on the water- no where else I would rather be!

Luke (17) I have enjoyed watersports my whole life and started whitewater paddling 4 years ago. I've really enjoyed progressing my skills in White Water rafting, and I'm looking forward to competing in The Czech Republic and representing GB!

Will (16) I have been paddling for 5 years and have loved developing my skills on the water. I love the thrill of raft racing and enjoy paddling with my awesome team - I can’t wait to go the the Czech Republic for the European Championships!

What is whitewater rafting?

It's an exciting sport involving 6 paddlers in a large inflatable raft competing in different racing events on challenging sections of white water. These include the slalom, head-to-head, sprint and downriver events. It requires a lot of teamwork and tactics as well as strength, stamina and determination.

We're so excited about the opportunity of competing internationally and hope that we will be able to go from strength to strength. Many thanks for reading, and thanks again for your support.