We are thrilled to announce that Moira Aston, CEO of Canoeing Ireland, has been elected as the first female Vice-President of the European Canoe Association (ECA). In addition to this historic achievement, she will serve as the ECA/Paddle Europe representative on the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Board of Directors.​

Moira’s election is a testament to her unwavering dedication to the sport and her commitment to fostering inclusivity within the paddling community. Reflecting on her new role, she expressed her enthusiasm:​

“I am absolutely delighted to be the first female Vice-President of Paddle Europe as it is now. A lot of change happened today, a really fantastic board and place, and a very progressive organisation. To be in at this level in an organisation like this means everything to me. I am absolutely delighted. I would always focus on inclusivity, and it isn’t just gender; there is more to it than gender. There are different abilities. I think everyone needs to be able to bring what they need to bring to the Boardroom table in an open and welcoming way.”​

Moira also highlighted the importance of broadening the base of participation to strengthen competitive disciplines:​

“I am really excited about this afternoon’s presentations, from Special Olympics and from Gabrielle (Recreational canoeing and educational programmes). They are areas that will really support the work of the competitive disciplines. If you have that broad base, you have a really strong pyramid base, and everything will feed up eventually into competitive disciplines and the competitive environment. But to start with that broad base, we need to be engaging with participation and the outdoors. Everything that was said was so relevant to where we are now in the world. I honestly believe the unifying capacity for sport in creating an environment, where the disagreements are sorted out in a fair way, and if we could just establish that in the general environment around us, it would be absolutely fabulous. These are the areas that make me particularly interested at the moment.”​

Moira’s election to the ECA Vice-Presidency and the ICF Board of Directors marks a significant milestone for gender equality in sports leadership. We are confident that Moira will continue to champion inclusivity and drive positive change within the international paddling community.​

Congratulations, Moira, on this well-deserved recognition of your passion and dedication to paddle sports.