Bartosz Czauderna
DOB: 26.07.1991
Natural habitat: Freestyle / Extreme White Water (K1)
Nationality: POLAND
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Career Highlights:
+Vice European Champion, Bratislava, SVK 2018
+2nd K1M World Cup 2018
+5th K1M World Cup, Sort, Spain 2018
+ 5th K1M Unleashed Freestyle & Big Air, Uganda 2018
+ 8th K1M WCH in Freestyle Kayaking, San Juan, Argentina 2017
+ 3rd General Euro Cup classification 2017
+ 5th place World Cup, Augsburg, Germany 2010
+ 1st place as junior in European Cup 2009
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Where and when did you start paddling?
"I’ve been kayaking since I remember - my Mom and family brought me into touristic kayaking when I was very young. I started in a touristic club called Krakowski Klub Kajakowy in Melchiora Wankowicza.
I kept paddling there till February 2007 when my cousins went to “Bystrze” – Academic club at AGH university and met Piotr Sikora from Retendo who was looking for juniors for Freestyle Kayaking. They asked me if I would like to give it a try and I got immediately interested and I got completely addicted!
Since then I’m spending every possible moment training or looking for playspots. At the beginning of 2009 I changed club to Krakowski Klub kajakowy which helps me with my training and travels. I have graduated as a Master from Academy of Physical Education extending my experience and passion acquiring coaching abilities.
Following that (and being kind of a nerd!) I did another Master in Sport Management at Jagiellonian University, Took a part EMTM in Girona and finally became a PhD student back at Jagiellonian University.
However, my life is about kayaking. It is not only a sport, it’s way of living for me. It has made me who I am – taught me the value of a smile, connection to nature, let me meet so many amazing friends all around the world in places I wouldn’t ever be able to visit otherwise.
Thank you to everybody who shared that passion with me, now I hope to share it with others! Teaching is simply my passion. I love sharing knowledge and bringing more out of people while seeing how they fall in love with the sport that has changed my life! I’m running travel company named Love it Live it which takes you to your dream kayaking destinations and offers you highest quality coaching!"
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Why are you doing this sport?
"It releases from everything. It gives me opportunity and reason to travel, teaches me the discipline and respect. But mostly because it connects the best people!"
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What is your favorite spot to paddle?
"Definitely White Nile, Uganda. It is just a paradise. That was also my first real dream I can remember. I managed to go there in 2011 and spent every winter there ever since! Despite the mighty Nile Special got flooded recently – it is still one of the best places around the world for kayaking. It is a dream destination that I have shared great time with kayakers from all around the world meeting them and paddling one of the best waves and rapids over the World! My second favorite place to be is Salza in Austria. It is calm but has a playspot just next to the place I park my car and live for whole summer. Newest discovery for me is Zambezi – ultimate downriver bigwater destination!"
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What was your best experience on water?
"Starting to work with Love it Live it – it is summary of my career, it allows me to go to the most amazing whitewater destinations around the world and share my paddling time with friends and coach new people to do something they love! It is amazing to share your passion with others and it carries great value for me especially as every year I'm trying to find new places to visit.
However, most important moment for me was winning silver medal in 2018 which was summary of my years of hard training and gave me even more motivation to practice kayaking!"
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What are your goals and plans for the future?
"Keep having fun with kayaking while sharing my passion with others!"
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What do you like to do when you are not in a kayak?
"All kinds of sports, especially snowboarding and gymnastics"
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Does gymnastics help you in kayaking?
"I think gymnastics helped me a lot both with motion understanding and making my core stronger!"
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Who has influenced you the most in kayaking?
"It was definitely Eric Jackson. Not particularly by kayaking but the way he was with people – always smiling, happy and friendly. When I met him I decided that I want to be like him!"
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Have you ever run anything you shouldn't have?
"Yes.. When I got to Uganda for the first time with no river running experience at all – my friends pushed me into running Itanda. I didn’t want to do it but after I scouted it it seemed fine. Of course it is a huge and difficult rapid with big water characteristic that I had no idea how different it is to anything that I have paddled! I swam all the way from the top to the bottom nearly drowning!"
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Did you ever piss into your kayak?
"Never in mine… ; )!"
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Who is the best kayaker in the world and who do you like to follow on IG?
"I think most versatile paddler currently is Dane Jackson. I’m not type of a follower on Instagram but I simply like viewing what is he up to and seeing the line he takes, it is inspiring and motivating to go kayaking somewhere!"
Contact:
- Posted on 2019-06-11 16:24:50
