Job Title: The Boss
Matt Bishop is a L4 kayak coach who started his paddling career in K1 racing on the Coventry canal 33 years ago! After a few years abroad Matt became a qualified BCU instructor in 1995, worked freelance on the 100 Mile Canoe Test for a few years & took up full time teaching in the paddling industry in 2001. He is also a L3 Open Canoe & Sea Kayak coach & enjoys whitewater river running, teaching youngsters how to freestyle properly, coastal touring & generally mucking about in the sea.
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Job Title: Head Coach
Jenna has been working for CKT for 6 years, starting out as a freelance coach, and then going full time to help Matt as we expanded. She's our resident open canoe specialist, and is working towards her Level 5 coach award, but can also be found paddling white water kayak, sea kayak, and playing polo on a regular basis.
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Job Title: Shop Manager
Alex Read is a UKCC level 2 coach who predominately paddles Freestyle and surf kayaks but enjoys all forms of kayaking and canoeing. Alex has been a member of the English surf kayak team and competed in the 2007 and 2009 world surf kayaking championships. He also has been part of the square rock team for the last 6 years. Alex has a BA (Hons) degree in outdoor adventure with sports development and can mainly be found paddling on his day of at Nottingham, Hurley or back home in Bude
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Job Title: Coaching & Maintenance
Yannig has been paddling canoe and kayak for a number of years now, having started in canoe in and progressed to include kayak. He enjoys all aspect of canoeing, white water and sea kayaking. He is also our outfitting and repairs specialist, from plastic welding to fitting thwarts and extra seats he does it all. Yannig is also a level 2 coach and is currently working towards his 4* canoe.
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I’m Pete Bridgeford, aged 17 and I’m in my 2nd year at Evesham college studying game design and media. I’ve been paddling for around 5 years, at my local club based in Stratford called ‘SOAK’, and I now mainly focus on the freestyle side, but I’ll also happily run rivers.

I got into freestyle when I saw one of the guys in my club cartwheeling, which made me want to try it! My dad bought me a Dagger Kingpin 6.1, which I started to learn the basics in, I then progressed and got a Pyranha Molan which I learnt to front loop in, and I now paddle a Jackson Rockstar. I mainly go paddling at HPP, Nottingham, with Alex Read, when even I can, and I’ve recently been out to places like Slovenia and Plattling. This year I’ve also started entering freestyle events such as the youth freestyle series and some British league events.
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I started paddling 4 years ago at my local Canoe Club in Hinckley-Break Out Canoe Club. After completing my 2 star, I took up Canoe Slalom. In Spring 2010 I bought my first kayak, a Pyranha S6F.I was introduced to Freestyle at the Nene on a junior coaching day with 'Squarerock' that summer.

In October 2010 I upgraded to a Jackson Allstar. I joined Paddleplus Canoe Club at the end of 2010, where I got to know other young freestylers and started to do harder whitewater. In March this year I started to compete in the Youth Freestyle and British League for the first time. I feel I have had a good first season and hope to make a big improvement in my performance in 2012.
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