Nottingham City Council sports development officer Claire O’Hara, has become European champion in the women’s Squirt boat kayaking for the second time. She also took third place, winning the bronze medal, in the mixed/unisex championships. The gold and silver in the mixed / unisex competition also went to two Nottingham sportsmen, James Reeves and Pete Cornes.

Claire, the current British champion and World silver medallist, teaches kayaking at Nottingham City Council’s Colwick Park Adventure Centre.

This Bank Holiday weekend she could be crossing the River Trent for the British Squirt boat championships at the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrpont. Instead she will be in Switzerland at the World Cup series and training for next year’s World championships.

Claire (26) retained her European champion title at the championships in Spain three weeks ago. Squirt boat kayaking is a form of whitewater freestyle kayaking where the boat is designed to make use of surface and underwater currents. Smooth, graceful moves (gymnastic style tricks) on the flat water are combined with speedy manoeuvres underwater.

Claire has been at Nottingham City Council’s Colwick Park Adventure Centre since May 2007 and also works at The Arches Adventure Base in Lady Bay. A graduate from Leeds Metropolitan University where she obtained a BA Honours degree in Sports and Recreation development, she is helping more city youngsters get involved in one of Nottingham’s major sports.

The Colwick Park Adventure Centre opened two years ago and now attracts hundreds of young people to try kayaking on the park lake and on the river. They attend the centre individually or through visits by schools or youth clubs. The next step is to set up a club for those who want to develop the sports further.

Councillor David Mellen, Portfolio holder for Children’s Services at Nottingham City Council, said: “We send Claire our congratulations on her great success at the European Championships and our very best wishes for the World Cup series and the World Championships next year.

“Nottingham is the number one centre in England (or Britain) for canoeing and kayaking, with most of the British teams training at the National Water Sports Centre and many of the leading paddlers based in the City. Young people have the opportunities to get into these sports through sports development programmes and with the help of Claire and her sports development colleagues, and a whole new world of adventure and opportunities opens up for them.”