The canoe club helping young neurodivergent people build confidence

Eighteen-year-old Asher Shore has gained more than paddling skills and fitness at Croesyceiliog Canoe Club.

The club has allowed him to relax, build confidence and make friends. He has found his voice in an environment where he feels accepted and supported. 

Asher's journey on the water

Asher loved playing canoe polo as a small child. Every year, the lake near his grandma’s house hosted a major canoe polo match, attracting the best players in the UK.

He then discovered that those very same players ran a local club. 

No small feat

Attending Croesyceiliog Canoe Club for the first time at nine years old was a big deal for Asher. He is autistic, has ADHD and is Trans.

Among other things, Asher's neurodiversity means he can find new social situations uncomfortable. But the club is a community where he can reset each week, calm his nervous system and be completely himself.

Because I am autistic, I can find social situations difficult. I'll plan ahead and think about what I need to say or ask. It feels a bit like a flow diagram in my head. But with kayaking, I don't feel that pressure because we already have something in common

Balance and breakthroughs 

Asher isn’t the only young person at the club with neurodivergence. In fact, he believes that canoeing is a great sport for those who might find social situations tricky. 

You can: 

• be on your own in a boat and take things at your own pace 
• build friendships through a shared interest 
• relax in a pressure-free environment 

Being part of the canoe club has introduced him to people he might not have met. 

It can really suck to feel different to everybody. That can be really hard in school. But I've met people in the club who are perhaps the exact opposite to me in every way. But because of our shared interest, I've been able to interact with them and we've become friends

Over the years, Asher has taken the confidence he’s gained in canoeing into other parts of his life. After overcoming bullying in school, he has now gone on to chair his school’s LGBTQ+ council, educating teachers about diversity and inclusion. 

He also delivers webinars and presentations on other issues he's passionate about like the climate.  

Giving back to the next generation 

Asher is keen to give back to the club which has given him so much and help other young people benefit like he has 

With support from National Lottery funding through Sport Wales, he has completed instructor training. 

He enjoys taking to the water with younger club members, passing on the same skills he was taught and sharing a love for the sport. 

It’s been really nice growing up in the club because I’d be taught how to do stuff- and now I’m able to do that for someone else. I love the feeling that I might pass on a skill to a young person and they might remember it for the rest of their life and then they might pass that on to someone else

Asher is eager to get more training and eventually become a coach, continuing his journey on the water and helping the next generation find their confidence too. 

Upgrading with Be Active Wales Funding 

The National Lottery funding has also helped the club invest in: 

• equipment 
• safety kit 
• instructor training 
• a storage container 

Having a storage container means the club now doesn't have to rely on a local swimming pool to host sessions. 

Instead, they enjoy their summer sessions outdoors on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. 

It also: 

• gives paddlers more time on the water 
• saves spending money on pool hire costs 
• makes the club more appealing for new members 

We’d like to say a big thanks to Sport Wales and the players of the National Lottery. The funding has helped us secure our future

Looking ahead 

Thanks to the National Lottery, Croesyceiliog Canoe Club can continue to offera stress-free experience of canoeing to young people like Asher. They’ve created a welcoming space where young people can try new things at their own pace and just simply enjoy being on the water.  

The club are looking to expand from canoe polo to introduce slalom paddling and a sprint section. 

As for Asher, he hopes to continue to train to become a coach and support the club in giving others the same opportunities he’s had.