Sarah

Tokos

Discipline/events: Sprint Kayak, K-1 500m, 200m
Height: 5’6”
Hometown: New Brighton, MN
Club/team: Rice Creek Boat Club

Career highlights:

• Winning 2 Silver medals with my K-2 partner at our first nationals ever. Photo Finish at 2012 Nationals (K-1 500m, Silver);
• Making Jr National Team 2nd season of paddling; 
• Jr World Team 2013; 
• Bronze 500m K-1 at 2013 Lake Placid International.

Honors/awards: Academic All-State 2013
Job: Retail at Finn Sisu, local XC ski shop
Hobbies: Reading, cooking, skiing, sailing with the family
Favorite quote: “Make the most of yourself, because that is all there is of you”
Trivia: “Lip Gloss” by Lil’ Mama is my pump-up jam.
How’d you get started with the sport? I joined my high school Nordic ski team in 8th grade, and one of the coaches was also the coach of the kayak team, and suggested I give it a try as cross-training for skiing. Our club is primarily a marathon canoe club, but we got an invitation to a development camp in Chula Vista in the fall of 2010. That was my first time in a racing K-2. I fell in love with the sport and have been training ever since.
Who’s your hero? More my inspirations – Maggie Hogan and Kaitlyn McElroy. They are both crazy strong and devoted to what they do, and they have the kind of drive that is admirable. I think getting to know them over this summer has been the coolest experience because they are both really nice and friendly, especially to the younger and newer paddlers.