Lines in literature or scenes from a fictional world can stir up powerful emotions in human beings. Sometimes, devastating, sometimes elevating, they make you feel a connection so hard to describe.
Take Dobby dying in Harry Potter or Charlie finding the golden ticket for example. These are moments that turn on the tear ducts no matter the age.
For wildwater canoeist Kerry Christie, that deep emotional pull from fiction calms her nerves and inspires her performance.
“I take a book everywhere with me, multiple books. I read a lot of fiction, like made-up stuff. When I read, I go into a different world and I can't even hear people talking around me,” she said.
“I'll read anything fiction and enjoy it. I don't listen to music or anything. I kind of like going into my world.”
A necessary mantra that keeps her calm while tackling the whitewater rapids, the Great Britain athlete's rapid rise in the discipline is inspirational.
She won the first gold medal for her country in 13 years at the International Canoe Federation Junior and Under 23 Wildwater Canoeing World Championships in 2023.
Last year, she also teamed up with her sister Emma Christie to win a world title at the senior level, ending an eight-year wait for the nation. But behind the scenes, the 23-year-old was battling a serious health scare.
“It was a strange situation for me because it started a long time ago. I started coughing in late 2022. And when I started coughing up blood, I was like, 'What is happening to me? This is bad'. It was scary to begin with and then I got a letter through the post which said they found a lump in my lung from an X-ray. And then I was like, 'Oh gosh'. You think the worst, like cancer,” she said.
“That was very scary. I didn't think it affected me, but looking back, it did. I feel like I wasn't putting as much as I could into my training sessions because I was worried about what was happening to me, and whether I'd have to stop paddling. My training was disrupted as well because I had lots of hospital procedures so they could try and find out what was wrong.”
Fortunately for Christie, cancer was ruled out after some tests and some antibiotics helped her recover but the ordeal took a toll on her emotionally.
“I didn’t think it was affecting me, but looking back, it did. I wasn’t putting as much into training because I was worried—worried I might have to stop paddling. And I had to miss sessions for hospital procedures.”
Throughout it all, Christie’s family was a pillar of strength.
“Emotionally, I was tired all the time. Kayaking is part of me. I don’t know what I’d do without it. My parents and sister came to every hospital appointment. We didn’t talk about it much, but I always knew they were there.”
With the new season around the corner, Christie cannot wait to get into the environment she cherishes.
The one big family, as she calls them, is all about having fun winning medals or not.
While expectations are high, Christie has put previous results at the back of her mind and hit the reset button, with new targets already defined.
“I'm just going to paddle hard and fast and whatever happens, happens.
“Provided I get selected for all the events, I'm trying to attend all the river racing competitions like the senior European Championships, the World Cups, and the senior and U23 World Championships," Christie said.
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“My main event will be the U23 World Championships. I'd like to retain my title. That's the main goal of the year and to do as well as I possibly can. And then I team up with my sister as well. We'd like to win the sprint and the classic races.”
While the focus will be on the individual boats, Christie's face brightens up when she speaks about her sister and teammate Emma.
Their training schedules are usually split into a 2:1 between the individual and team boats but closer to the races, they switch it up.
That there is no need for any censorship while they converse is the secret of the duo's success.
“We get on very well. Occasionally, we do argue but it's about something we like — paddling. We get over it quickly. I have not paddled with anyone else better than her. She's my favourite partner. We can tell each other and be completely honest with each other because we're sisters.
“It depends on how everything's going. If I'm having a terrible time in my K1, I'd rather spend more time in K1 to get that right and vice versa.”
As for Christie’s rituals? They remain unchanged. Same thermals, same shoes, and at least 20 minutes on the water before the flag goes up.
Her favourite event remains the classic race — and her mindset is unwavering.
“In my head, everyone is my main competition and I'm the slowest. Cecilia Panato is super quick. I'm always trying to beat her. That's in the U23. Undoubtedly, she'll be racing at all the senior events as well. She beats me a lot and I think I've only beaten her once. Yeah, she's probably my main competition currently and a few other girls like Sophia Schmidt from Germany. The French girls are also quick.”
If the national selections that were held last week are a sign of things to come, Christie is set to pick up right where she left off last season.
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