Sportrait

When Ashley Wirth discovered kayaking six years ago, she took to it like the proverbial fish to water.

Wirth, a 14-year-old student at the Weyburn Junior High, first became involved in the sport when a local promotion at school offered a free tryout.

"I guess it was just a natural instinct for me," says Wirth, who later attended an introductory regatta in Regina and showed enough promise to be considered a future prospect.

Now a member of the Weyburn and District Canoe and Kayak Club, Wirth's love of kayaking has grown even stronger over the years.

"It sounds stupid, but it's 'with' me," she says. "I feel like I'm a partner with the water."

She enjoys the freedom of being out on the water and describes the experience as peaceful, refreshing and even cleansing. When it comes to competition, however, she's all business. "I'm a competitive person it's a bad trait, but I love to win," she confesses.

Wirth takes kayaking seriously enough to have her own custom-made Potassi paddle - an older style formerly used by Canada's national team - and hopes to eventually own a kayak as well. She also has some serious goals for herself: she wants to be at the national level in two years and at the Olympics in Greece in 2004.

She's prepared to work hard to get there. "It's a 24-7 thing," says Wirth, who trains constantly and takes morning and evening paddles in the summer.

Is it all worth it? "Oh, yeah. Definitely."

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