LSBU sports scholar wins canoe world championship twice over
LSBU graduate Ellis Miller credits LSBU’s sport scholarship programme as crucial in allowing her to perform at the highest level in her canoeing career.
Alongside her teammates, Ellis managed to take gold in August’s U23 World Championships in Krakow, Poland.
Recovering from third down and a 2-point penalty, the U23 team, comprised of Ellis, Phoebe Spicer and Lois Leaver, remained steadfast and composed to post a time of 98.55 - a performance proving too difficult to beat for competitors.
Hear from the winners below:
Only a month later, Ellis received a late call up to the adult 2023 ICF World Championships in September. Held in her home ground of Lee Valley, Ellis stormed to gold alongside her teammates Mallory Franklin and Kimberly Woods, executing a perfectly clean run through 18 gates for a blistering time of 112.45 seconds.
As an LSBU sport scholar, Ellis would have regular discussions and check-ins with her support team (including the LSBU Active sports scholarship team, her lecturers, and her performance lifestyle advisor). She credits the support as a huge part of how she managed to achieve a first-class honours degree alongside her athletic success. The financial support allowed her to travel to and from university to the British Canoeing High Performance Centre, as well as contributing to new equipment.
She has now qualified for the British Senior C1W team (‘C1’ being the type of canoe, and ‘W’ indicating it’s the women’s team). She said:
“I am delighted to have qualified for the Senior C1W team after a tough selection series this weekend. I can't wait to race on the International senior circuit in 2024.”
What is Canoe Slalom? In Canoe Slalom you must navigate the white-water rapids, avoiding penalties (2 seconds if you touch a gate, 50 seconds if you miss a gate) to paddle through the slalom poles in the fastest time.
Read more about Ellis’ university experience at LSBU.