New head coach for Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club

GAINESVILLE - Guy and Shelley Wilding have accepted the head coaching position at the Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club.

"We are looking forward to taking the Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club to the next level under their leadership," said Executive Director Connie Hagler.

The Wildings will replace Kris Lepianka who announced several months ago that that he was leaving at the conclusion of the 2004 racing season.

Under Lepianka's leadership, the club earned three national club titles and placed athletes on both Junior and Senior World Championship teams.

"Both Guy and Shelley are highly qualified as coaches and athletes," Hagler said.

Shelley Wilding competed for Australia at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000. Coached by her husband, Guy, she was a finalist in 1996. Shelley competed in nine World championships with top ten placing from 1989 to 2003. She is also a World Champion in Surf Life Saving - Surf Ski, Outrigger and Winner of the Sydney International Dragon Boat Festival in 2001. She was on the Australian Netball National Champion squad for over 6 years and has been a part of the High Performance Sport Mentoring Program for female emerging athletes. She has coached at the Manly Waringah Kayak Club and the Ikaika Canoe Club and the Punahou High School program in Hawaii.

"Shelley's marketing, teaching and public speaking skills will be put to great use as our program continues to grow and improve," added Hagler.

Guy Wilding, in addition to coaching Shelley,was Head Coach of the Ikaika Canoe Club which is the current Australian Outrigger Champion and also also coached the Punahou High School program in Hawaii. He has been the Australian and New South Wales o/ 35 champion in K1 1000 and K1 500 and won the Molokai Outrigger World Championships three times and was the Australian representative for four Triathlon World Championships.

"Guy and Shelley will work as a team," said Hagler. "We will have both of them on the water in the afternoons and Saturday mornings and one for the rest of the day. They will be focusing on developing a great 'Coach the Coaches' program to help further develop some great local coaching talent from the beginner to Olympic level Coach here at the Lanier. This is becoming critical as the club continues to grow."

The Wildings are expected to take over in late October.