By Chris Sze &
Gary Coulton

The Szechung kayaker

I began paddling in 1975 in Hong Kong and fell in love with this sport. Hong Kong’s geography meant we paddled mostly on coastal water, with only the Shing Mun River suitable for international rowing and canoeing races. Apart from weekend paddling, I completed a few special events, including twice paddling from Hong Kong to Macau and once from Macau to Hong Kong for different charitable causes.

The most remarkable challenge, though, was paddling around the entire territory. Seven members of the Outward Bound (Alumni) Association and I, in four double kayaks, were on the sea for 130km, unsupported, in two days.

The Hong Kong Canoe Union was established in the seventies, and that trip back in 2011 broke a longstanding record. Since then, I have been persistently drawn to doing things evermore epic. Apparently, the adventure seed was sown, maturing later in 2015 when I retired to join my family here in the UK. After all these years, it’s still bearing fruit.

Since I started coaching in the early eighties, supporting charities and worthy individuals has been important to me. For example, I donate my income from coaching to charitable organisations.

Instead of paying me, I ask students to choose where they would like to donate their fees. On occasion, I have also given away boats and paddles. Helping less well-off paddlers to make a start on the water or advance to a more competitive boat was the least I could do to promote the sport. The joy on the faces of those paddlers or the messages they sent me about their progress was more a rewarding experience than any of my achievements. To celebrate my retirement in 2015, I hosted a party asking for all retirement gifts to be made as donations to the Hong Kong Cancer Fund. In return, all donors received a special miniature sea kayak I commissioned. A total of about £18,000 was raised.

My first link with the paddling community in the UK was back in 1988 when I coached the Hong Kong team in the first World Marathon Championships at Nottingham. Afterwards, I stayed behind to train for the BCU Senior Instructor (Inland) Award at Holme Pierrepont. My wife and children settled here in Bishop’s Stortford in 2003. I kept working as a civil servant and reunited with them when I retired in 2015.

Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club

As I wrote on Facebook recently, my motto is: “Worked hard enough, now play harder!” I joined Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club in 2015 when I settled in this town. Luckily it is a racing canoe club, so all members share the common value of paddling for fitness and racing. I still remember Angela, the club secretary’s amazement when I enquired about joining the club, “How soon can I start racing?” Soon, after only a few sessions, I made good friends with active paddling members and felt right at home.

In the same Hasler year of 2016, because of my performances in races, I was promoted rapidly from division 7 to division 4. However, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Marathon Championships 2021 is perhaps my best race ever, getting a silver medal in Men 60-64 K2 with Colin Simpkins of South Africa. Paddling for fitness is my goal, and getting medals along the way is more of a bonus.

I was a physical education (PE) teacher in my early professional career. After that joining the Correctional Services Department in Hong Kong, serving as the officer in charge of PE and recreation for inmates and staff members. Coaching has been my passion alongside marathon racing, and I hold an ICF Level III coaching qualification.

numerous analytical videos

Apart from sharing paddling techniques with fellow paddlers in the UK, I have made numerous analytical videos. As my students and followers are mainly from Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China and Taiwan, I have produced considerable coaching information for them on public media (mainly in Chinese). My academic background in physical education is a solid foundation for teaching and coaching.

Whilst many coaches are doing the job of teaching beginners, from my early coaching years, I chose instead to focus my efforts on training coaches to multiply the power of my knowledge and techniques. It has always been a pleasure seeing how my students become coaches and how a set of coaching principles are shared and practised across the sport.

With the same passion for coach training, back in 1985, I was one of two pioneers starting the training of canoeing coaches in Macau. After that, I helped them establish their governing body, the General Association of Macau Canoeing. I have served three times since then as an interpreter to Mr Csaba Szanto on the ICF Coaching Courses held in Macau and was appointed as their advisor.

After my move to the UK, I continued doing charitable paddling. Two trips which stick in my mind are the Maldon Little Ship Club Row and Gig Race for the RNLI (£1,300 raised) in 2015 and the Reed London Kayakathon for McMillian Cancer Support (£3,000 raised) in 2016. In recent years, donations have continued when I do my annual coaching series in Hong Kong, where it is highly regarded.

Guinness Record Challenge

This year, with my friend Gordon Bullock, I took on the small matter of a Guinness Record Challenge (result pending ratification). We paddled the Thames non-stop from Lechlade to Teddington. A gruelling distance of 125 miles with 44 locks, and half of them had to be correctly filled, and the rest could be portaged. We finished in 24 hours and 12 minutes. About 11 hours faster than the old record! Our wonderful supporters donated about £2,500 to the Youth Adventure Trust.

This was my first ever overnight paddle, and the challenge was more mental than physical, i.e., staying awake! Gordon told me that at some point, I was murmuring something seemingly in Chinese without making any sense. I, however, have no recollection of this whatsoever.

Being supported like pros in a marathon race was my best experience in any paddle I have done, and I must say the challenge would not have been a success without our wonderful support crews. We chose the music ‘The final countdown’ to boost our spirits all along the paddle, especially in response to the cheering we received at all the locks. It was so special, making it a theme of having fun!

When Gary Coulton told me about his plans for the Beyond Words Big Paddle Challenge, I was intrigued and happy to join this group and keep my charity ball rolling. The cause supports the charity Beyond Words to fund the expansion of their network of Community Book Clubs for children and adults living with learning disabilities. I was also intrigued by the challenge’s concept.

To paddle long distances regularly for an entire year. Our Team aims to ‘Paddle the Globe in 2022’ one trip at a time, a collective total of 24,000 miles! As part of my contribution, I have the small matter soon of paddling the Danube, again with Gordon.

Gordon and I have just completed paddling the Danube from Ulm in Germany to the Black Sea, 2,400 km in 40 days. Dedicating it to the Beyond Words Big Paddle Challenge.

At the Annual Award Evening 2022 of Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club, I was awarded the Woodcock Hasler Trophy for most points gained in the Hasler marathon races last year. I also received the Twyford Trophy for Outstanding Achievement in the World Championships and Guinness Record Challenge.

When asked what my next challenge might be, I said, “I will take up the greatest challenge. Spending more time with my family.” Paddling for fitness will be enough and worth continuing on its own merits. Spending less time on social media will also make a difference. Well, that is, until another irresistible challenge comes up, maybe.

My way of living a fruitful retirement life is to add life to years, not just adding years to life.

Happy paddling!

Beyond Words Big Paddle Challenge

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

You can help in four main ways:

• Join the Beyond Words Big Paddle Challenge Team. To do so, contact us at bigpaddlechallenge@gmail.com. We’ll send you a one-page paddler’s briefing.
• Donate https://www.gofundme.com/f/beyond-words-big-paddle-2022
• Follow our social media and share our posts: www.facebook.com/groups/beyondwordsbigpaddlehq and @bigpaddlechallenge2022.
• You, a friend, or a connection could volunteer to organise a new Beyond Words Community Book Club – contact us at bigpaddlechallenge@gmail.com to learn more.

MAKE YOUR PASSION FOR PADDLING MAKE A DIFFERENCE