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HELP THE CALIFORNIA POPPIES REPRESENT THE USA AT THE WORLD RAFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The California Poppies are a competitive junior girl’s whitewater rafting team based primarily in
Truckee, California. This team is selected to represent the USA in the U19 Division at the
2022 World Whitewater Rafting Championships in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The team will be
competing in sprint, slalom, and downriver racing events on Class III whitewater. The
competition will be held between May 25th and June 1st on the wild and beautiful Vrbas and
Tara Rivers. We're raising funds for team travel expenses.
The team is coached by Sue Norman, a former member of the US Women’s Whitewater Rafting
Team. Sue’s team won many medals in international competition, but it was the adventure of
traveling and paddling in exotic and remote locals worldwide with a close-knit group of
life-long friends that was most memorable.
Because of COVID, this is the first year there has been a World Whitewater Rafting
Championships to compete in since the girls started paddling as a team over three years ago.
They are ready.
These young women demonstrate the maturity, passion, talent, and commitment to proudly
represent the United States in an international whitewater rafting competition. Although the team is
looking forward to racing, their motivation comes from a love of wild rivers deeply ingrained
through a lifetime of rafting with their families. They are our future river advocates and engaged
members of the whitewater paddling community.
3/25/22
A note from the Coach:
A total of 65 teams representing 22 countries have registered for the 2022World Championships in Bosnia.
When I competed in the first International World Rafting Competition in 1989, on the Chuya River in Siberia it was under very different circumstances. This inaugural event, organized under the auspices of Project RAFT (Russians and Americans for Teamwork) celebrated the recent collapse of the iron curtain. The US Women’s Team was the only all-women’s team to compete, and the barriers that were broken for the women and men that watched us race affected and entire generation of paddlers all over the world.
The California Poppies will be competing during a time when it appears the Iron Curtain is once again being raised. It is heartbreaking to grasp how the invasion of Ukraine is impacting both the people of Ukraine and Russia. (note* The Russian Rafting Federation has publicly declared their opposition to the war in Ukraine.)
Just a few weeks ago, both the Ukrainian and Russian Rafting Federations (including their junior paddling development programs) could pursue such things as working, recreating, and competing on rivers. To some people such pursuits may seem frivolous. But for those of us whose time on the river has changed and enriched our lives in ways that are difficult to describe, we know this is but one of many ways to measure the loss of freedom and richness in the lives of those affected by this war.
With the backdrop of the brutal war that is taking place marring the lead up to this WRC what the IRF will be doing, and the California Poppies, is take advantage of the world stage provided by the WRC, to publicly support Ukraine and emphatically denounce this war along with all forms of war and aggression.
“It is our intention to make the focus of the 2022 WRC about the importance and necessity of unity, cooperation and peace in today’s world, and not about national pride or competition winners and losers.” says President Joe Willis Jones.
The event in Bosnia will be the girls first opportunity to experience sharing the sport they love in an international community that loves the river and paddling as much as they do. The impact of such an experience cannot be measured, but building bonds and bridges with fellow paddlers that transcend political, cultural, and ethnic differences will be life altering.
Sue Norman, Coach
Californian Junior Raft Racing Development Team
There is still a possibility this event will be cancelled, or we determine that it does not make sense to go. We will post information on this site to either return donated funds, or keep them in an account to fund the junior team for future events.
3/25/22
A note from the Coach:
A total of 65 teams representing 22 countries have registered for the 2022World Championships in Bosnia.
When I competed in the first International World Rafting Competition in 1989, on the Chuya River in Siberia it was under very different circumstances. This inaugural event, organized under the auspices of Project RAFT (Russians and Americans for Teamwork) celebrated the recent collapse of the iron curtain. The US Women’s Team was the only all-women’s team to compete, and the barriers that were broken for the women and men that watched us race affected and entire generation of paddlers all over the world.
The California Poppies will be competing during a time when it appears the Iron Curtain is once again being raised. It is heartbreaking to grasp how the invasion of Ukraine is impacting both the people of Ukraine and Russia. (note* The Russian Rafting Federation has publicly declared their opposition to the war in Ukraine.)
Just a few weeks ago, both the Ukrainian and Russian Rafting Federations (including their junior paddling development programs) could pursue such things as working, recreating, and competing on rivers. To some people such pursuits may seem frivolous. But for those of us whose time on the river has changed and enriched our lives in ways that are difficult to describe, we know this is but one of many ways to measure the loss of freedom and richness in the lives of those affected by this war.
With the backdrop of the brutal war that is taking place marring the lead up to this WRC what the IRF will be doing, and the California Poppies, is take advantage of the world stage provided by the WRC, to publicly support Ukraine and emphatically denounce this war along with all forms of war and aggression.
“It is our intention to make the focus of the 2022 WRC about the importance and necessity of unity, cooperation and peace in today’s world, and not about national pride or competition winners and losers.” says President Joe Willis Jones.
The event in Bosnia will be the girls first opportunity to experience sharing the sport they love in an international community that loves the river and paddling as much as they do. The impact of such an experience cannot be measured, but building bonds and bridges with fellow paddlers that transcend political, cultural, and ethnic differences will be life altering.
Sue Norman, Coach
Californian Junior Raft Racing Development Team
There is still a possibility this event will be cancelled, or we determine that it does not make sense to go. We will post information on this site to either return donated funds, or keep them in an account to fund the junior team for future events.
Co-organizers6
Hannah Hammond
Co-organizer
Laurel Anderson
Co-organizer
Lynn Citro Akers
Co-organizer
susan norman
Co-organizer