May 28 2006
St Albans Sea Cadets paddled to victory on Sunday. Winning all the categories they entered in a District Canoe Competition. It was held at Stevenage's Fairlands Valley Park, with tough competition from Stevenage, Welwyn & Hatfield and Herts & Ware Sea Cadet units.
Fourteen St Albans Sea Cadets went in the unit minibus and had a great day out, for once enjoying sun not showers! Adam and Ben Lansdown and Lucy Parker chalked up outstanding performances.There were sprint, marathon and relay races at junior and senior levels, for males and females. The team now qualify to compete at the Area championships later in June.
Adam Lansdown said, "I was thrilled to win the marathon, but I had to work really hard to win, thank goodness it's half term and I'll have time to recover!"
Canoeing is fun, but it's through hard work and training that competitions like this are won. The Sea Cadets follow/use the British Canoe Union (BCU) training structure. Indeed to compete all competitors had to at least be holders of the BCU 1 Star award. The units hard working instructors regularly take the cadets out training and advise them of the national courses that are also available. For example one cadet recently attended a week long residential course at Weymouth attaining BCU 2 Star - for just £60. See account here and explanation of training method.
There's no time to be bored with St Albans Sea Cadets, see www.seacadetfun.com . It offers many fun opportunities and is open to boys and girls for 10 to 17 years and very inexpensive. The unit always welcomes new faces, just turn up at 7pm on a Tuesday or Friday night, at the unit, which is just behind Westminster Lodge swimming pool. Why not give it a try and make new friends and learn new skills, you've nothing to lose!