Rocky rush to gold

 

Caroline Williams runs half-marathons to get in shape for the real competition: whitewater canoeing.

The Morrisville mother of four brought home a gold medal in tandem canoeing with her paddling partner, Natalie Thomas, during the U.S. slalom Nationals last month. She also scored a silver medal in the singles race.

It’s a fast-paced, wild, crazy-looking sport.

“Most people look at it and think it’s like a Disney World ride,” said Williams, 33, who picked up the sport in high school.

Williams grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa., and started her racing career through the beginners Pennsylvania Cup. She now regularly participates in the New England slalom series, 10 regional races held in the fall and the spring.

In slalom whitewater canoeing, racers navigate a series of “gates,” vertical poles hanging over the water, as quickly as possible. A race typically features between 18 and 25 gates, which are green upstream and red downstream.

Although Williams said she doesn’t train in the water that often because of her commitments as a wife and mother, she stays in shape through cross-training.

In preparation for nationals, Williams skied, ran half-marathons — 13.1 miles — and performed strength-training exercises. She plans to ...more