Instructors:
Colin Kemp & John McConville

Testimony from a prior student: "I had Colin Kemp for my instructor. He's paddled for 23 years. These are my impressions of him. I could tell he has had very good formal training by quality disciplined teachers in his background. He was able to break things down to very technical basics and explain it in a very clear way. He also had the knack of spotting those bad habits that you know you do but think no one else can see. Colin's whole personality is a natural teacher. When it came to coaching for the competition he really came into his groove. I watched him with the advanced group Friday afternoon. What I saw was the very best paddlers in the Midwest being given basic discipline and loving it. Colin is a top coach capable of coaching the best our sport has. Most importantly he had fun teaching us and we had fun learning. It was a great experience and I learned alot about competing and what it takes to excel. I didn't have John McConville for a teacher except for a few minutes while Colin brought the late comers up to speed. In the brief time I was with him he gave me some great advice on my double pump technique. He also has the knack to see what you're doing and the technical knowledge to correct you. Only having paddled for two years he is a phenomenal paddler. At 21 years old he has a beautiful future in paddling and teaching ahead of him!"

The Ray McLain Paddling Scholarship Fund has been set up under Wausau Kayak / Canoe Corporation’s 501(c)3 to provide financial help to qualified up and coming paddlers in the whitewater kayaking sport in Wisconsin and the Midwest.  This will enable qualified canoe/ kayak athletes to train and compete in the sport in pursuit of national and /or international medals.

As Ray McLain has committed so much of his time, efforts, and dollars over the years to help youth excel in the sport, Wausau Kayak / Canoe Corporation and Green Bay Paddlers United want this to keep his legacy going. A committee to administer the fund is comprised of representatives from Green Bay Paddlers United and Wausau Kayak / Canoe Corporation. Rebecca Giddens, formerly of Green Bay, WI and Olympic Silver Medal winner in the 2004 Olympics says, “It’s the Ray McLain’s of this world that make the difference. He teaches with fun, love, dedication, and determination. Thanks for helping me get to the top, Ray!”

For more on the Rebecca Giddens path to the Olympics, read this article from the 2007 issue of Wausau Whitewater, Through the eyes of an Olympic Champion

Qualification criteria for athletes include:

• Must be involved in slalom, freestyle, or wild water
• Must express financial need
• Demonstrate a commitment to the sport
• Demonstrate potential as an athlete, as shown by successfully completed competitions with a track record of improvement in rankings.
• Preference is shown to residents of Wisconsin, then residents of the Midwest, as defined by the states of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa.

If you wish to donate to the Ray McLain Paddling Scholarship fund, the check should be made out to Wausau Kayak / Canoe Corporation with a memo that this donation is for the scholarship fund to Wausau Kayak / Canoe Corporation, 1202 Elm Street, Wausau, WI 54401. All donations are tax deductible.

To apply for a scholarship, contact Wausau Kayak / Canoe Corporation, 1202 Elm Street, Wausau, WI 54401. The deadline for applications is Dec. 1, 2009. Mail the completed form to the address above. The decision of the committee will be announced at the end of January.