Truro Canoe Club’s James Drage-Hubert is in Montebelo, Portugal this week having been selected by GB canoeing to undergo K1 sprint training.

He is one of a group of young athletes from the UK (Super Regional Squad) attending an international kayak sprint training camp.

Kayak sprint has been one of UK’s Olympic gold medal sports in recent years and the weeklong camp is designed to help young athletes on their journey to world class status. James and Fowey Club’s Matt Collinge are the only two athletes selected from Cornwall.

This winter camp will give an intensive week of training ahead of the 2018 sprint season which starts in April.

Designed to create winning habits it includes technical and race skills, crew boat development, gym and yoga.

Kayak sprint races are over varying distances from 200m to 1,000m and in single, double and four-man craft.

The inherently unstable boats require balance and technique coupled with the ability to convert strength into power if they are to perform to their ultimate capability.

James started paddling in surf ski events and joined Truro Canoe Club to take up the challenge of marathon and sprint kayak racing.

His progress has been rapid and he now concentrates on the Olympic sport of kayak sprint racing.

Truro Canoe Club is based in Boscawen Park in Truro where a boat store and clubhouse will soon be built with part funding from Sport England. Active members range from under seven to over 70 and race in marathon and sprint events at local, regional and national levels.

The club has a wide range of kayaks for beginner to intermediate paddlers and is always keen to welcome visitors for a taster session and subsequent membership.

Consistently in the regional championship’s top three the club is ambitious for its members to participate in and enjoy the sport. www.trurocanoeclub.wordpress.com