Canmore paddler Jordy Munro is competitive and always looks for his next big challenge.
Fresh off his recent success at the Whitewater National Championships in Kananaskis Country last week, Munro is already planning his next move to impress watersport judges on the world stage.
Munro, a top paddling talent, won the junior men’s freestyle title at nationals. He demonstrated his strength and agility by executing flips and tricks on the Kananaskis River.
This impressive victory has earned the Canmore teenager a spot at the ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships, set to take place in Plattling, Germany, in June 2025.
“I got on the national team because of this event, and I’ll be going to worlds next year in Germany, which will be cool,” Munro told the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
Competing in the U18 male category, Munro also delivered strong performances across various disciplines, finishing fifth in sprint, seventh in classic, and 11th in slalom at the national event.
However, freestyle is still his specialty and the category he focuses on most.
“I’m happy with how I performed this week. I progressed throughout the week and saw all the good athletes from different places,” Munro explained.
Among those athletes were Paris 2024 Olympians Lois Betteridge and Alex Baldoni and national team paddler Lea Baldoni.
Munro found it inspiring to watch these top-tier athletes up close as they sliced through the waves on the Kananaskis River.
“It’s cool to see how good they are and how much better they are than the average person,” said Munro.
Despite his age, Munro is a multi-talented athlete and enjoys biking, skiing, and volleyball. In 2018, Munro competed in the Rundle Mountain Cycling Club’s downtown criterium and hill climb and won the U11 race.
A Notch Above The Rest
Twenty-year-old Alex Baldoni, just back from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, admitted to feeling mentally exhausted.
However, the stunning scenery of Kananaskis Country and the cold waters of the Kananaskis River were the pick-me-up he needed.
“It’s pretty sick to be racing in a pretty nice environment like this. Nowadays, most of the courses are artificial, so they’re entirely built, and we don’t get to race in nature like this with good weather,” said Baldoni.
“What I will say is the water is a bit colder than what we are used to, but that doesn’t change much, it just takes a few days to adapt and after that, it’s pretty good,” he continued.
Originally from Pau, France, Baldoni made his Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and was cheered on by many of his childhood friends and family.
He grew up and was introduced to the sport in France, but he felt it was his calling to represent Canada, where his mother was born.
“When I had the chance to choose a country, I chose Canada because it was a part of me I wanted to represent,” Baldoni told CBC News.
Baldoni had a successful run at the Whitewater National Championships, taking gold in the canoe slalom, silver in the kayak slalom, and silver in the kayak cross.
His fellow Olympian, Lois Betteridge, also shone, capturing gold in her only event, the freestyle. Betteridge is a three-time silver medallist at the Pan-American Games.
She earned her Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualification after winning the women’s C-1 event at the 2024 COPAC Canoe Slalom Americas Olympic Qualifier.
Although Betteridge didn’t place in Paris, she is thankful to have had the opportunity to compete in the Olympics after barely missing her ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
After winning the junior men’s freestyle title at nationals, there’s no doubt Munro has the talent to succeed in high-level competitions like the upcoming world championships in Germany.
We wouldn’t be surprised if Munro gets scouted for Team Canada’s Olympic roster in the future, adding to Canmore’s long list of Olympic athletes.
