Anna

Socha

 Women’s Sprint Canoe

 Nathan Hale High School

2013 U.S. Junior World Championships Team Member

At what age did you start paddling and how did you become involved in the sport?  

I became involved with the sport through a friend. I knew I loved water sports so I tried out paddling and it stuck. I joined Seattle Canoe and Kayak when I was 11, starting off as a kayaker. In 2011 at age 14 I switched to only canoeing having paddled both for a while. 

Where and when was your first competition, and how did you do?
My first competition was at the 2009 season opener held by Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club, B.C. I did well for my first competition, making almost all of my finals. But I was pretty hard on myself and not very happy with my results, deciding to do better next time.

What has inspired you to train and compete at an International level?

Although I thought it unrealistic at first, ever since I started paddling I have wanted to compete internationally. What really inspires me are the people around me. Other athletes who train and compete internationally have always been present at my club and I look up to them and watch how they train and work that extra bit harder.

What is your preference - individual or team boats, and why?

Team boats. I love racing in C2 or C4 with others and seem to always be better at it. I like working together with someone, being in sync, and when you do well in a race knowing its all of us who got there. I like training groups in general and team boats are sort of a very tight nit training group where you have to work together to make the boat go.

What race distance do you prefer, and why?

I like the thousand meter race because it’s all about endurance. I like the very clear structure and how you have to stick to your own race plan because the race positions can change a lot.                                                                

What has been your biggest accomplishment(s) in the sport?
1. I felt really accomplished when I was invited to Lake Placid fall camp in 2011. It was a really cool feeling because I knew that people had been watching my progression and thought that I had potential. Also traveling and training internationally with the sport was a whole different level and made it much more real.

2. I felt really accomplished when my C2 partner Lydia and I won a 500 race against other Northwest teams. It was a very close race and we just barely beat the opposing team but that’s what made it so cool because we knew if we had made one stroke less than we would of gotten second.

What is the best advice you have been given and who offered it to you?

In my beginning years of paddling my coach Aasim Saleh told me that I could choose to be as committed as I wanted in the sport. This advice has really pushed me because I know that it is my choice how far I go and how hard I work and stay committed and I have to push myself to do that.

Tell us about your current training schedule? Describe an average day for you?

A day of full training in the summer consists of paddling practice in the morning for 2 hours, then an on-land session for an hour, then a 4-and-a-half hour break and back on to paddling practice for two-and-a-half hours in the afternoon. 

What do you do for fun and relaxation?

To relax and have fun I hang out with my friends or at home.

What would you like to do after your Canoe/Kayak career is over?

I hope to paddle in some way for a very long time, but there are many other ways that interest me than sprint canoe. It would be nice to try out surf ski, go on canoe and sea kayak trips and explore other water sports.

What is your favorite thing about the sport of Canoe/Kayak?  Do you have any special memory that you would like to share?
I like the paddling community. I have made many close relationships and the people on my team are some of those who know me best because we spend so much time together doing what we love.

What is your goal for the 2013 season? 

My goal for this season is to go to Junior Worlds and medal in the Women’s C2 500m race.

What is your dream goal?

My dream goal is to bring home a gold for USA Women’s canoe!