John Edwards - Canadian

John Edwards - Member of the World Paddle Awards Academy

John Edwards (Canada) is an integral Board member of the International Canoe Federation, having been Chair of the Canoeing for All committee and Chair of the Paracanoe Committee. His contribution to paddlesports has been profound and as a result is a valued member of the World Paddle Awards Academy.

John grew up paddling at the Carleton Place Canoe Club in Canada and competed at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games in the C1 & C2 1000. Between 1999 and 2015 he served as the Domestic Development Director at CanoeKayak Canada (CKC) where he lead the largest growth in CKC’s racing and membership history. He also initiated Canada’s Aboriginal Paddling Initiative, the PaddleALL program for paddlers with disabilities and played a vital role in increasing female participation in canoeing. In addition to this he is the Chair of the ICF’s Paracanoe Committee and was the driving force behind the bid for inclusion into the Paralympic Games.

Initially, John had the vision of making all canoekayak clubs welcoming places for persons with impairments.  Being able to offer paracanoe athletes the opportunity to attend high level events, develop high performance skills, and compete in the Paralympic Games is the pinnacle of this achievement. Launched in 2009, John lead the world-wide movement to promote the development of paracanoe. With much delight, as a direct result of John and the Committee's efforts, in 2011 it was announced that paracanoe had been accepted into the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

With 60 athletes from 26 countries across 6 events competing for athletic glory, the debut of Paracanoe was labeled a complete success. But this isn't enough for John. Under his leadership he aims to keep lifting the competitive level of Paracanoe towards Tokyo 2020 and beyond as well as helping to increase the accessibility of the sport worldwide.

With John’s expertise and professionalism, he is a valued member of the World Paddle Awards Academy.