By Jim Sinclair
Sooke News Mirror

Aug 29 2007

Daughter and dad Cara and Tim Marks are avid kayakers and canoeists.They also have an athlete/coach relationship and if all goes to plan it could have them both going to the 2012 Olympics in London.

Twelve-year-old Cara of Sooke has propelled herself to the point where she is attracting international attention for her abilities in the kayak and the canoe, and she’s done it practically overnight.

“I started last spring (2006),” said the cheerful young lady during a visit to the Sooke News Mirror last week. Cara was home for a spell during a busy summer that has taken her to the Junior Olympics in Colorado (earning a silver medal), the Canadian nationals in Chilliwack, and the North American championships in Alberta. Cara competes in white water slalom; kayak and canoe.

She had paddled on a recreational basis before trying her competitive chops but found out in a hurry she was good at it when it really mattered. Cara has since dropped her other sporting pursuits in order to make more time for kayak and canoe training.

The kind of canoe Cara competes in bears little resemblance to the boat so many of us are familiar with. It looks much like a kayak – a big difference being the way it’s used more than the type of boat it is – the fact the competitor kneels inside it and uses a single-ended paddle.

White water kayaking is an extreme workout and there’s an impression a lot of danger is involved as well. But for the experienced, well-prepared and well-equipped competitor it may not be as hazardous as it looks. “It’s a lot of fear,” said Cara, “like you think you’ll get... beat up, but it hardly ever happens.”

The fitness requirements are high and as Cara gets a little older she’ll spend a greater proportion of her time with off-the-water training.

Positive peer pressure is easy for Cara to come by in the Fraser Valley (a hub of B.C. kayaking and canoeing) at the Chilliwack Centre of Excellence where she spends a good deal of her time. Asked if she enjoys the sights and action of the mainland when she’s not paddling, she said with a laugh, “I’m not, not paddling.”

“There’s not really a big place to train here,” said Cara, although some practice has been done locally at Muir Creek. It would help athletes like Cara if greater access was available to waterways like the Sooke River.

One of the things being considered with an eye to boosting Cara’s versatility is the idea of flat water workouts and the sort of competition held in bodies like Victoria’s Gorge Waterway.

Cara is devoted to her sport and her future is full of promise. She continues to do well along with her friend and training partner from Chilliwack, 13-year-old Jazmyne Den Hollander.

Speaking on behalf of the Chilliwack Centre of Excellence, former National coach Toby Roessingh said of the young talents, “Jazmyne and Cara are the best Cadet girls in North America, bar none. Even at 12 and 13 they are already competing with girls who are 16 or 17 years old. If they’re able to do five or six more years of training at the same level and they have some good opportunities (the Olympics are) not too big a dream.”