Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is delighted to announce that Kalob Grady has been confirmed by the CKC Freestyle Committee as the Freestyle National Head Coach
Hailing from the Ottawa Valley, Kalob (Lapasse, ON) started kayaking at the age of 9 years old and began competing at the age of 13. In 2010, he won the Junior Freestyle Nationals, placing 3rd at the Pan American Junior Championships and 6th the following year at the ICF Junior World Championships. That ignited his competitive kayaking career, which continued to flourish over the years with a highlight result of 6th place at the 2015 ICF World Championships in front of a hometown crowd on the Ottawa River.
Grady has been coaching with the Ottawa Kayak School since 2011, as well
as contributing to youth kayak development through the Teen Development
Keeners Program. Building on his strengths of working with youth, both
on and off the water, Kalob took on the position
of Head Coach for World Class Kayak Academy in 2017.
Kalob is also recognized for his work as a member of the SEND team,
pushing the boundaries of whitewater kayaking competitions for the past
three years.
Grady’s passion for the sport of kayaking is well documented and shines
through everything he does. “We’re delighted to have Kalob join us to
help develop a strong and diverse competitive Freestyle Kayaking program
in Canada,” said Lee Vincent, Chair of the
CKC Freestyle Committee. “He is a well-respected paddler in his own
right, with extensive international competition experience. That
knowledge, partnered with his ability to inspire and motivate other
paddlers, will help us grow the strength and skills of
the national team and next generation athletes.”
CKC Freestyle will be working with partners in Alberta and Ontario to
host athlete development camps in July, as well as a camp in August
leading up to National Team Trials in Minden on August 23rd. Please follow our
Facebook page for more details.
For further information or questions related to the Canoe Freestyle Team, please contact Committee Chair, Lee Vincent.
About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships.