Community Sports

Athletes from France, Quebec visiting Gig Harbor

Athletes from France and Quebec are visiting the region this week to train and compete with members of the national-champion Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team.

The international athletes will join GHCKRT members and others in the Narrows Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Twenty-three athletes and coaches from Arras, France, and the Canadian province of Quebec are participating, according to a news release from GHCKRT. It’s a return trip, after 10 people from the Gig Harbor club participated in a cultural exchange program courtesy of the French government in 2021.

Other events planned for the week include:

• The international athletes will attend a city council meeting on Monday, Oct. 10, at which GHCKRT’s win at the ACA 2022 USA Canoe & Kayak Spring National Championships will be honored. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
• International and Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team members will participate in informal, 130-meter races from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 15, at Skansie Park in Gig Harbor.
• The exchange participants will experience local and regional culture and venues, including exploring the Harbor History Museum and hiking in the Olympics.

The exchange, from Oct. 5 to Oct. 16, will be beneficial for both athletes from here and those from France and Canada, GHCKRT coach Alyson Mrozinski said.

“We’re thrilled to welcome our fellow athletes from France and Canada to Puget Sound and our harbor for cross-training, cultural exchange, fun, and new friendships,” she said. “We hope that it furthers interest and developmental growth for canoe and kayak sprint competition in the U.S.”