High Pointer medals at canoe competition
Oct. 7—HIGH POINT — Following his first canoeing and kayaking competition, Shane Brown found himself in an unexpected place Wednesday evening — on the winners' podium.
The 44-year-old High Point man, who has paddled for 25 years but only as a hobby, won a bronze medal in the open canoe division at the 2022 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup. The competition, sanctioned by the International Canoe Federation, is taking place this week on the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia.
"I'm just overjoyed," Brown said of his unexpected win. "I'm in disbelief that a guy who just enjoys paddling and being on the water could get a medal at an international competition. It's like a dream come true, a definite bucket-list item."
After a conservative effort in Monday's preliminary round — doing just enough to advance to the finals — Brown attempted a few riskier tricks Wednesday, and it paid off for him.
"I just had a different mindset," he said. "I just wanted to have fun, and get out there and see what happens. So I tried a few things I hadn't tried before, and it was enough for me to get third place."
Brown, the traditional camp director for the YMCA of High Point's Camp Cheerio, will participate in a second competition this weekend, also on the Chattahoochee, before returning home.
"Now that I've already medaled, I feel more free for this next competition," he said. "I'm just going to go have a blast on Saturday and see what happens."
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