Ollie Sandeman

I grew up in Mid Wales discovering paddle sports on a trip to an outdoor centre, my parents then bought me one of the centres Pyranha masters and then I started to head out on the rivers around Mid Wales. Following an outdoor education course at college I started my career working in the Aosta valley in 2007, this opened my eyes to alpine whitewater kayaking with the Dora Baltea on my doorstep. The next couple of years was spent leading canoe trips on the Ardeche, often considered a rite of passage for canoe coaches. Spending time over here converted me to love spending time in a canoe as much as a kayak and rocketed my paddling heading for trips on the Allier and in the French alps at any opportunity. I then returned to the UK and started working freelance, coaching and guiding canoeing on the Wye and kayaking on the Usk in the Winter months. I spent over a year working and living on the West coast of New Zealand working as a kayak guide and exploring the fantastic whitewater New Zealand has to offer. I then started working freelance providing coaching and British Canoeing courses in North and South Wales gaining some great experiences and mentorship from some exceptional coaches before setting up my own paddle sports business. I’ve had the pleasure of paddling and working in some amazing locations with canoeing in the Canadian wilderness and heli kayaking in New Zealand being the highlights. I’ve been working at Plas y Brenin a little while now and can’t think of anywhere better to be based for the variety of spectacular locations for paddling on our doorstep.

Ambitions

More time on the salty stuff in a sea kayak, getting out on the amazing whitewater we have on our doorstep at any opportunity and taking my trad canoe into unusual locations is on the agenda.Bigger plans would be to plan a steep creeking trip abroad and a big canoe expedition to Canada.