"Canoeing changed my life."

Name: Angela Wang

Date of Birth: March 24th, 1994

Hometown: Seattle, WA - USA

Sport: Sprint Flatwater Canoe

How many years training in canoe?

Almost five

How many days/week do you train in canoe?

It depends on the time of the year. In the winter, our off-season, Seattle Canoe and Kayak generally just does cross training. During spring and fall, I am on about 5 times a week max and in the summer I try and go for 9 or 10 a week.

Do you have a coach and/or a training group?

Yes. My current coaches are David Aldrich, Katarina Batina, Amina Saleh and neil Bransfield. However, I would like to say that Aasim Saleh has been a great coach and friend who inspired me daily from the year I started.

Do you cross-train?

In the winter that is all my team does. We run long distance and do a lot of circut weights. During the regular season, we try and spend the majority of our time on the water but do still cross train in lesser amounts.

Do you coach /mentor others?

Definitely. This is what I love to do. I have always had a passion to spread the sport and help others understand the unique sport and community of it. I am a junior coach at my club and held the role of team captain tarting in 2009. I hope to always be a leader in the sport, especially in Seattle since its my hometown.

Who is your closest rival?

That is a tough question. If I had to pick one person I would say Makenzie Sousley. She’s always been determined and right on my trail. Another one is my own teammate Lydia Keefe Sampson. She is one of the most driven athletes I know, working hard at every workout even through intense shoulder injuries.

Current/Prior year accomplishments:

My biggest accomplishment is placing 5th at the Junior World Championships in Brandenburg last year. That was actually my exact goal I set a year back and achieving it was the most amazing feeling in the world. Closely following that would be grabbing the bronze five times at the PanAm Championships in October of 2010.

Goals for 2012:

I’m hoping to better my technique and help the sport spread within my community. As the end of my career as a Junior is approaching quickly, I haven’t quite determined what the plans will be for college yet.

Who is your role model?

This question always stumps me because no one person comes to mind. I don’t particularly have someone I strive to be like but watching my teammates always pushes me along. In a way, they’re my role model I guess.

How many years do you see yourself competing in canoe?

That is really hard to say right now. I’ll be starting college in the fall and I think we will just have to see from there how my life starts to play out. I do hope I have time to dedicate to this sport for at least another four years.

What is your message to the world regarding women in canoe?

Canoeing changed my life. I became a happier and more confident person. I traveled to places I never would have without the opportunities in this sport and made friends with people I never would have met. Being in this sport makes you a healthier and stronger person physically and mentally. I hope it continues to grow and spread to all people around the world.