Tom Arnold, President
Tom Arnold, President
Tom Arnold, one of the founders of VI Paddling, has been involved in paddle sports for most of his life – in canoe, dragon boat, outrigger canoe, marathon canoe, and surfski. He is most accomplished in dragon boat, having competed with both the Premier and Senior A Canadian National Teams, and winning multiple medals at Club Crew World Championships in the Premier Mixed and Open divisions. As part of VI Paddling’s coaching team, he has developed the Gorging Dragons High Performance Program (Premier, Senior B and Senior C) and Flat Out Competitive BCS crew into perennial contenders at Club Crew World Championships, with this success leading him to become Program Director for the Canadian National Senior B Team. He has a passion for helping paddlers and coaches who want to take their skills to the next level, and has spent the last 8 years dedicating himself to VI Paddling as Club President. Tom can be reached at president@vipaddling.com for custom clinics, personal coaching, new program ideas, or if your team or club would like to join VI Paddling.
Will Slater, Vice President & Equipment
Will Slater, Vice President & Equipment
Will started paddling during the 2000 season with The Selkirk Serpents, switching over to The Navy Dragon Anchors in 2005, and has filled the position of Team Captain with the Navy team since 2009. In 2016, Will started assisting with the Gorging Dragons team in Adelaide, Australia for the World Club Crew Championships, and this has carried on until present day, now acting as Team Manager for the Senior program. The bug caught and Will started paddling with the Gorging Dragons Senior B team in 2018.
After retiring from the Royal Canadian Navy in early 2019, Will started assisting more with VI Padding and joined the board later that year. Will works around the dock and helps with the maintenance of the fleet. In addition, he was the lead for getting the Victoria erg gym set-up with all necessary COVID-19 safety protocols. Should you wish to contact Will about any equipment concerns, he can be reached at: vipaddlingmanager@gmail.com
Catriona Campbell, Treasurer
Catriona Campbell, Treasurer
Catriona has been paddling with VI Paddling’s Island Breaststrokers team since 2010. In that time, she has also held a variety of executive positions. She joined VI Paddling’s competitive breast cancer survivor team, Flat Out, in 2019 participating in their bronze medal winning race at the Canadian National Championships, qualifying them for the Club Crew World Championships in France in 2020, which was subsequently cancelled due to the global pandemic.
During her career, Catriona has worked at non-profits doing community development and volunteer coordinating, as well as being on many boards with experience in different positions and committees.
As treasurer of VI Paddling, she assists the bookkeeper in keeping the financial records straight, plans for the annual budget, and transfers money to pay bills as required. The financial records are updated every three months with the annual report at the end of November.
Janice Alexander, Customer Service
Janice Alexander, Customer Service
Janice joined VI Paddling as a member of the Civil Serpents, a corporate team, in 2012. She then joined the Gorging Dragons Senior B women’s team and competed in 3 Club Crew World Championships. Janice has been one of the managers for this team for about 7 years. She is also the Program Manager for the Canadian National Senior B team.
Janice has been a VI Paddling executive board member since 2018 and currently provides customer service for the club. She responds to a variety of emails and sends out information to individuals interested in becoming club members. She also assists members with setting up accounts; registering for programs, clinics and classes; and small boat rentals in Mindbody.
Please contact Janice at info@vipaddling.com with any questions about the club.
Kelly Spilsbury, Apparel and Media
Kelly Spilsbury, Apparel and Media
Kelly joined VI Paddling as a recreational paddler in 2017. She now paddles with the Gorging Dragons High Performance Premier team and feeds her passion for paddling and love of the water with plenty of outrigger canoe, marathon canoe, and surfski paddles on the side!
In 2019, Kelly co-created one of VI Paddling’s newest team, VIP Wild, which she coaches as well.
She joined the VI Paddling board of directors in 2019 and has taken on several projects including an apparel program, website refresh, as well as helping run our social media accounts.
Tina Watson, Corporate Programming and Events
Tina Watson, Corporate Programming and Events
Tina Watson joined the Gorging Dragons Premier team in the summer of 2011. Since then, she has competed at three Club Crew World Championships and has continued to strive toward a seat on the Canadian National Premier Team.
Over the years, she has helped support VI Paddling by taking on a number of different coaching and support roles. In 2019, Tina organized the Scouts Jamboree, co-organized the Dry Heave Indoor Dragon Boat Festival, and facilitated an upgrade to the South Island VI Paddling erg gym.
She is passionate about corporate teams, and in 2017 she formed the Slegg Titans Corporate Dragon Boat Team.
As a new board member joining in 2020, Tina brings her passion for corporate teams, volunteer and community engagement, and corporate sponsorship to the table.
Jane Bowering Hay, Comox Lake
Jane Bowering Hay, Comox Lake
Jane started paddling in 2015 to fill the void of retiring from a 35 year squash career. After a few years with a recreational team in the Comox Valley, Jane realized that she wanted a more competitive experience. The opportunity to paddle at Comox Lake with the Gorging Dragons under the expert coaching available drew her to join VI Paddling in 2018. Jane competed in the Canadian Championships in Senior C in 2019 qualifying for the World Club Crew Championships in France in 2020, which were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Jane’s education and career in tourism have focused on empowering people to get outside and participate in sport and activities at all levels. Working as the Sales & Marketing Manager for a high end adventure travel company, Jane’s creative approach grew the business and introduced the outdoors to people of all ages and abilities. With a focus on dragon boating, Jane’s goal is to further develop dragon boating and VI Paddling in the Comox Valley and to educate and create opportunities for this community.
Susan Osso
Susan Osso
Susan Osso retired to the Island in 2015 and was first introduced to dragon boating in 2017 when asked to join Hope Afloat as an Associate Member. Timid of the water, she refused to switch sides on her first paddle in the Comox marina. Times have changed! Susan joined VI Paddling in 2018, and competed as a member of the Senior C Division in the Canadian National Championships in Regina the following summer. Shoulder injuries sidelined her shortly before the pandemic hit allowing her ample time to recover. Susan strongly believes in the power of teamwork. Pete Carroll said, “Each person holds so much power within themselves. Sometimes they just need a little nudge; direction, support, coaching.” And that’s what VI Paddling is all about! Susan’s goals are to continue developing the sport in the Comox Valley, and to pursue personal goals with the Gorging Dragons.
Trish Crumpton
Trish Crumpton
Trish resides in Nanaimo and started paddling in 2001 with a team called Dragon Slayers. 2003 was when Trish discovered her love of, and talent for steering. She joined the Gorging Dragons Senior B team in 2014 and has since competed with the Gorging Dragons Senior B and Senior C teams in four Club Crew World Championships and is well known for her skill steering those powerful boats down the race course. She has also competed in two World Championships with Team Canada’s Senior B team. She currently trains with and co-coaches our Gorging Dragons North paddlers at Comox Lake. She has sat on several not-for-profit Boards in Nanaimo and joined VI Paddling’s Board of Directors in 2024.
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