“I tried everything I could get my hands on, including canoeing ... which is actually not quite the same thing as kayaking,” elaborates 23-year-old Noraini bte Bahri.
“I used to play canoe polo competitively with a team called Five Friends, as well as paddle dragon boat. I also did some flatwater sprinting for a short while.”
That’s covering a lot of ground for just over two years. So it was no wonder that the level 2 recreational kayaking coach was nominated by the Singapore Canoe Federation (SCF) to be Singapore’s first representative at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2005.
“You could say that I stumbled into whitewater kayaking, or rather, to be more specific, canoe slalom,” admits Nor.
Believe it or not, the experience at Penrith was the first time Nor tried canoe slalom.
“Before my trip, Dr Pavel, a former slalom and downriver paddler from the Czech Republic, was kind enough to share with me some slalom tips and show me how to set up gates in a flatwater environment.”
Nor was in good company at the event, as participants were trained for a week before the competition.
“The training given was excellent and corresponded to the level of experience and skills of each athlete,” she reports.
Together with athletes from Hong Kong and India, she was taught the basics of whitewater kayaking on the first day, progressing to paddling through an upstream gate, how to do spins through the gates, and gate technique on whitewater by the third day. They got to practice on parts of the course gradually, and by the fifth day, Nor managed to run the whole course, attempt some upstream gates and stay in her boat the whole time.
It was also a good opportunity to observe other athletes of differing skill levels, and these came from Paraguay, Korea, Japan, Italy, China, the Czech Republic, Australia, Germany, Hungary, Uzbekistan, as well as France.
Some of these new friends also shared with her some crossing and gate techniques.
So how did she do?
“I believe that I have performed adequately given my level of training and experience prior to the trip. I have also met the target that I set myself before going – that is to finish the two runs and gain timing as well ranking.”
Her realism and honesty is apparent as she continues, “Although I placed ahead of Hungary, Uzbekistan and a paddler from France, it must be said that it is not because I was more proficient than them! They were caught by the river and did not manage to roll, hence they did not finish.”
“But I think I've found what I'm looking for. I cannot describe the feeling as I ran the slalom course in Penrith, I felt like I was on a high. Yes, there was fear mixed with the adrenaline but I just wanted to yell ‘woohoo!’ each time I went down a drop, caught a gate, or rolled after being tossed around like a limp rag in a stopper (that’s a river feature that's kinda like getting stuck in an overpowered washing machine). I've gotten this feeling from playing canoe polo but not quite as keenly,” she enthuses.
When she does coach, Nor teaches anyone from secondary school students to adults over 50 years old.
Her most challenging moments were when she began teaching adults, after having taught only teenagers.
“I found myself still talking to adults as though they were kids and that wasn’t working!” she says, laughing.
And her most rewarding moment?
“That would be when someone, especially a kid, gets it after not being able to for a while,” she affirms.
Nor’s commitment is also evident, as she underlines her willingness to “pitch in and continue training.” With the SCF’s permission, she bought herself the equipment that she used in Australia, so that she can continue to train with it.
In addition, she has aspirations beyond her own achievements. She envisions a female training squad for canoe slalom and recommends that “girls around 18 would be appropriate to attract to this sport.”
“Now all I need is a whitewater stadium!”
She grins, but you know she isn’t joking.
With the sports hub to be completed in 2011 that encompasses an artificial whitewater course, dreams do come true.
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