The European Canoe Association Athletes’ Committee welcomed three new members at this year's ECA Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe European Championships in Racice, Czechia.
Canoe Sprint stars Frederikke Hauge Matthiesen of Denmark, Czechia's Josef Dostal, and Paracanoe sensation Charlotte Henshaw of Great Britain were elected as athlete representatives.
They will join Canoe Slalom paddlers Monica Doria of Andorra and Michal Martikan of Slovakia, who were elected in Paris earlier this year.
“I mostly signed up out of curiosity,” said Matthiesen.
“I love to see how the machine works behind the scenes. Normally, I only see things from the athlete’s perspective on the water, so I wanted to understand what goes on inside this enormous setup.
“My main goal is to listen to the athletes and try to see what they want, and to speak on their behalf.”
Five-time Olympic medallist Dostal said he is keen to understand what goes on in the continental governing body and added that he will fight for athletes' needs.
“I will listen to the athletes and what the problems are. I know many coaches from many federations, and sometimes they tell me what is great about the sport, and what is not so good, so I can fight for their rights,” the 32-year-old said.
Three-time Paralympic champion Henshaw, who has plenty of experience speaking for athletes from the British Paralympic Association, explained how passionate she is to help Paracanoe move forward.
“It is brilliant that we now have a seat at the table to, hopefully, bring forward the athlete voice. I think it’s important to hear from the athletes so we can continue to grow the sport and make things even more positive,” Henshaw said.
“Making sure that everything around the competition is accessible for everybody, that transport to and from the course is good, and that we are getting the small things right to ensure Paracanoe is functioning in the best way possible.
“We already do a brilliant job, but we can always be better and bring the sport to even higher standards. It is growing so much, and we want to keep growing it so that future generations can enjoy what we have.”
The ECA Athletes' Committee is designed to ensure better communication between athletes and the governing body and to help guide the sport's development across all disciplines.
Athletes from the non-Olympic disciplines will also be selected to be part of the Committee soon.
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