The International Canoe Federation hosted its first-ever athlete branding workshop, bringing together more than 20 Canoe Slalom stars, including Olympic and World Championships medallists, to explore how personal brands can create impact, purpose, and legacy beyond sport.
Titled “Stronger Together: Athlete Brands for Purpose and Legacy”, the workshop, held before the 2025 ICF Slalom World Championships in Sydney, was delivered in collaboration with Paddle Australia and led by Vickie Saunders, founder of The Athlete Brand Builder.
It marks a key step in the ICF’s wider strategy as it prepares to rebrand as Paddle Worldwide in 2026.
And if proof were ever needed of the power of athlete branding, one only needs to recall the Muffin Man from the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
When Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen decided to start his TikTok and go around tasting the chocolate muffins at the Olympic Village, little did he realise it was going to explode.
Such is the power of brand building, as Christiansen, with over 500K followers, will now agree.
“What I was most impressed by was the fact that we had great attendance, enthusiasm, and a flow of positive and future-focused ideas with a strong connection to athlete values and the strategic focus areas of ICF,” Saunders said.
“When invited to share their visions and ideas for the future of their sport and the kind of impact they could create in their own lives and the world around them, every athlete in the room had something positive to contribute to the rich conversation that ensued.
“For many, they had been holding onto these ideas and also some concerns, and there was a strong sense of being heard and that their voice matters. There’s no reason why any one of those athletes can’t do great things with their personal brand, for themselves, for each other, for their sport, and for social impact, collectively, and with ICF collaboration, they can achieve so much more.
“It was beautiful to see athletes from around the globe share their hopes and visions, to have rich conversations about what they can do individually and collectively to use the power of their brands to create impact and legacy.”
The workshop began with a welcome address on the importance of athlete leadership and the power of branding.
Afterwards, Richard Fox, the ICF Canoe Slalom Committee Chair, gave a presentation on the Fit For Future Evolution strategy.
Discussions also centred around what Paddle Worldwide will look like if athletes play a leading role, and the impact and legacy of working collectively.
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"The ICF and Paddle Australia was pleased to host the athlete branding workshop in the lead up to the 2025 Slalom World Championships in Penrith and witness the strong engagement and participation from the athlete group present,” said Fox.
“Collaboration is key to ensure we create impact and grow our reach as a sport and the athlete voice is central to this.
“Thank you to Vickie Saunders for curating the workshop and drawing out the ideas."
Matt Murphy, Paddle Australia High Performance Manager - People and Culture, said: “It was truly meaningful to spend time with such an incredible group of athletes and individuals, exploring both the area and potential links to the ICF’s Fit for Future Evolution initiative.
“It's hard to imagine many other sports where international athletes would be so willing to come together on the eve of a World Championship.
“In Australia, through our BE Ready programme and in close collaboration with our athletes, Paddle Australia has identified brand development and awareness as a vital pathway for personal growth.
“By empowering athletes to shape and share their unique stories, we aim to unlock greater opportunities – helping them expand their networks, attract commercial support, and build lasting impact both on and off the water.
“Working in partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport and The Athlete Brand Builder, we’re committed to equipping our athletes with the skills, tools, and confidence they need to build powerful personal brands.
“Through this support, we aim to ensure they are not only prepared for performance on the water – but also ready to thrive beyond it.”
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