5’10”
28
Gig Harbor, WA
Birthdate: August 28, 1996
Birthplace: Burnsville, Minn.
Harbor Christian School
Results:
I started paddling when I was 10 years old. Erik North, a good friend, MADE me come down to the dock to “try it out” summer camp. Turns out I liked it.
Where and when was your first competition, and how did you do?
Bantam Champs, Maple Ridge, BC, Canada in 2006. I started out in a kayak, and I fell in a lot.
What has inspired you to train and compete at an International level?
I was never inspired by only one event or person. There have been many times and people who have inspired me and helped me get where I am. I still have a ways to go!
What is your preference - individual or team boats, and why?
I like team boats a lot…but I also like singles, so that’s a hard question. It is good to push yourself to see what you can do in the singles. But I think that if I had to choose I would pick C-2 because it is only me and one other person. We push each other, and have a good time.
What race distance do you prefer, and why?
200m. I can just go for it, without pacing myself.
What has been your biggest accomplishment(s) in the sport?
2011 Junior World Championship! I was very young to go, but it helped me see who my competition really was. It was a great experience.
The other race I had the most fun and did my best was the 2012 Canada Day Regatta in Ottawa.
What is the best advice you have been given and who offered it to you?
Lots of people have given me wise words and great advice, but I like hearing Coach Alan yell “FINISH!” at every race.
What do you do for fun and relaxation?
I mountain bike and dirt bike in my free time. And eat.
What would you like to do after your Canoe/Kayak career is over?
I would like to do something along the lines of engineering.
What is your favorite thing about the sport of Canoe/Kayak? Do you have any special memory that you would like to share?
If I had not started paddling I would not have met all the great friends that I now know. I have met people from all over the world. I have so many great memories, but one of my favorite ones was right after I won my first nationals as a bantam in 2010. My coach, Jon Sousley, came up to me as I was getting to the dock and tackled me into the dirty Oklahoma River water.
What is your dream goal?
I would love to go to the Olympics.
VAIRES-SUR-MARNE, France — Nevin Harrison came to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to defend her Olympic gold medal in women’s canoe sprint.The 22-year-old American came oh-so-close. In a photo finish, Harrison claimed silver behind Canada’s Katie Vincent....
VAIRES-SUR-MARNCE, France — Evy Leibfarth paddled swiftly and smoothly through 23 gates to win an Olympic bronze medal in the women’s canoe singles final. Emotions certainly ran high as the 20-year-old achieved her first Olympic medal.“It’s so crazy, I...
It wasn’t the singles run that Evy Leibfarth envisionsed, but the white water paddler is looking forward to next events.
