(2014 ARCHIVED) Ginny Coyles - Great Britain
GINNY COYLES (Great Britain) - Nominee for 'Lifetime Achievement'
- Sport: canoe polo (K1), represents: Great Britain
Still paddling today, Ginny Coyles from Liverpool, UK has been nominated for the WPA Lifetime Achievement Award for her 25 year and ongoing service to canoe polo.
Player and Captain, she has frequented the highest place on the podium 4 times in total as World Champion (1996, 2004, 2008, 2010), but also the same number with the European crown (1997, 2001, 2005, 2009).
Added to this she was part of the entourage that also won silver at 5 Worlds and 2 European Championships, plus European bronze in 2007, also held in Thury-Harcourt, France where the 2014 Worlds were held.
She hasn't been shy of World Games medals either taking gold in 2009 in Kaohsiung and silver in 2013, losing out to Germany, as well as in 2005 in Duisburg. Ginny also won a World Masters Games bronze with her old club the Mutineers in 2009.
From 2008-2010 she did the unthinkable, which is yet to have been matched; keeping the World Championship title in the same 2-year cycle as the World Games and European Championshp golds.
She has been instrumental through GB women's team golden years going back, Ginny has been involved in some shape or form since she was introduced to the squad 1990, Dave Brown was coach. In 1996, the team won their first World Championship gold.
And in Great Britain, Ginny has won the National League 14 times, she was 11-time National Champion and has been European Club Champion 4 times during her phenomenal athletic career.
Having started paddling in around 1985, Ginny's first ‘real’ polo competition was in 1987 followed by then Australia in 1989. What has been noticeable over the years is Ginny's relentless attitude to training and her continual competing at elite international events over near to 20 years.
Activities and achievements off the water:
- Passionate media advocate for the sport.
- British Canoeing Award of Merit for her achievement in canoe polo
- When Ginny had a few years ‘out’ for injury and so on, she helped with coaching on the women’s squad in Euros years (2001/2003) on a couple of occasions
- She had planned on retiring in 2010!
This is a 2014 archived nominee. For the 2015 nominees click on the button below.
