Lucy Crino to the Canoe Slalom Junior World Championship
Crino qualified for the Junior World Championship for K1 and Kayak Cross / Via @LucyCrino
Lucy Crino (‘25) is making waves in the white water world of canoe slalom. Overcoming a broken ankle, Crino has made her way into the Junior World Championship for K1 this summer in Liptoský, Slovakia.
Crino’s journey into canoe slalom was the result of COVID-19 pandemic boredom.
Initially unfamiliar with the sport, Crino’s introduction came when her mother sought an outlet to keep her active during the months at home. “She needed to get me out of the house and I was like ‘alright,’” Crino recalled. Despite her initial indifference, signing up for a canoe slalom summer camp was a decision that would change Crino’s life trajectory.
Canoe slalom is a competitive sport where racers navigate white water courses in three different disciplines, C1, K1, and Kayak Cross. C1 and K1 are time trials, the former in a canoe and the latter in a kayak, while Kayak Cross is a two-person kayak race. Since Crino has started Canoe Slalom, she has engaged in all three disciplines.
Crino was drawn to the adrenaline and challenge of canoe slalom, especially being surrounded by skilled peers at the camp. Crino has joined the Potomac White Water Racing Center, and has made Walls proud with her achievements in the sport. She has been incredibly dedicated to the sport, but broke her ankle in winter of 2023, preventing her from participating in C1 competitions this year. “It was very sad that I couldn’t participate in C1 during Team Trials this year,” Crino said. “I was out of the boat from January until March which was really stressful,” Crino explained. With her broken ankle, she wasn’t cleared to get in the boat for the winter months, when she had intended to attend an intensive white water training camp in preparation for Team Trials.
Despite this, she has made the most out of participating in only K1 and Kayak Cross. Crino reached out to her coach and followed a gym exercise plan that was compliant with doctor’s orders, ensuring she was prepared once cleared to practice.
On April 13 and 14, Crino attended Team Trials in Alabama, which decided the three participants on each section of the World Championship. “There’s a junior team, senior team, U23 team, Olympic team and more,” she said. Facing an uphill battle with her injury, Crino vied for the junior team for canoe slalom racers under 18.
She was finally cleared in the weeks before the competition and got some practice on the Feeder Canal, but she knew that its tame waters wouldn’t prepare her for Team Trials. She finally went out to Alabama in preparation and “practiced more in those seven days than what I had in the prior three months combined which was intense,” Crino said.
The work Crino put in paid off, and she qualified for the Junior World Championship for K1 and Kayak Cross. Crino enjoyed the journey with her peers in the sport and was ecstatic to see her hard work pay off.
Crino showcased remarkable determination and resilience in pursuit of her passion that should inspire the Walls community.
