Women and Girls in Sport Week - young “inspirational” Orkney kayaker selected for “Fit for Girls” programme

This years’ Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week is being held from Monday 30 September - Sunday 6 October.  

This annual campaign is now in its eighth year and is firmly established as a highly recognisable campaign supported by sportscotland, Scottish governing bodies, Active Schools and wider key partners, engaging and building content around the week.  

This year the week encourages all women and girls in Scotland to lead the way by providing opportunities to celebrate the many ways they can help lead others to start some form of exercise / physical activity. 

Young “inspirational” Orkney kayaker selected for “Fit for Girls” programme 

An Orkney kayaker is one of 11 “inspirational” girls from across Scotland chosen for a special Paddle Scotland’s “Fit for Girls” programme. 

Kirkwall Kayak Club member, Jessica Bruce,16, has shown a passion for paddlesport and is keen to share this love to inspire other girls to get involved. 

The two-year programme is being delivered in partnership with sportscotland. 

During this Women and Girls in Sport Week 2024, from 30 September-6 October, the theme is “Leadership”. 

Here, we celebrate Jessica’s leadership skills. 

“When I was 10 years old my Grandad took me along to watch a pool session that Kirkwall Kayak Club organise in the winter months. I thought it looked fun and decided to give it a go. I still love being in a kayak. I decided to give up my other sports when I was about 14 and make kayaking my top priority. 

“I love being out on the water, exploring the Orkney coastline from a kayak. It's relaxing, stress-free and great for your mental health. It’s also a great way to exercise and enjoy the wonders of nature. All the coaches/helpers are friendly and welcoming no matter what your abilities are.” 

Jessica was encouraged by the Kirkwall Kayak Club to apply for the “Fit for Girls” programme. 

She said: “They thought I would be an inspirational candidate for this programme. I thought it would be a great way to help promote paddlesports and get more females involved as paddlesports were so heavily dominated by males. 

“I had to write a bit about my journey and how I hoped to help make kayaking appealing to girls my age, showing that anyone can try kayaking no matter what your gender or age is. I am the furthest north out of all the lasses with two others nearby in Caithness. The Kirkwall Kayak Club now have more of a 50/50 balance between females and males which is great to see. I have two female mentors from the club (Beki and Sarah) that are supporting me with the Fit for Girls programme which is great to have.” 

Jessica is currently working through a “Core Coach” qualification. 

“I was given the opportunity to work alongside the club’s current coaches and see if coaching was something I would be interested in pursuing. I naturally like to help folk and make folk feel at ease so felt that the next step in my kayaking journey was to look at becoming a coach. Once I turned 16 in April, I started working through the process of becoming a Core Coach along with other club kayakers. I've done all the training needed and now I'm working towards my assessment which I hope to have done by next Spring.”  

Jessica would highly recommend kayaking to others. 

“I would say give it a go and see what you think. Everyone at the club is friendly and supportive. The club have a range of kayaks to suit all abilities/sizes and all the gear you need, so it's inclusive for anyone to take part. There’s no need to buy expensive gear as that's included in the session price.” 

She’s had some “amazing” experiences as a result of taking to the water. 

“There is a cave at Skaill that is amazing to go inside depending on tides - we've even had dolphins following us at Skaill which was amazing to witness. The Gloup and the coastline along from Halley Beach is also one of my favourites. There are so many places, but these are my top two favourites.” 

Jessica also helps at a local sea kayaking business and says the founder, Kirstian Cooper, and his colleague and fellow kayaker, Rambo Russell, have been “role models on my kayaking journey”. 

“I'm extremely lucky to help out with their sessions they have with locals or visitors. If it hadn't been for them, I don't think I would be where I am now on my journey.” 

Kristian, who is also a Kirkwall Kayak Club committee member, said: “Jess's friendly and enthusiastic personality make her perfect for inspiring others to get involved in kayaking. Often Jess and Rambo work together with myself taking clients for kayaking experiences around the coasts. 

“Jess helps us to get folk kitted up for getting on the water, fitted for the boats, assisting with coaching and helping with safety on the water. She also makes a great tour guide on the water entertaining the clients with her easy chat. 

“Kirkwall Kayak Club have been providing training for new coaches that Jess has been attending and she will soon be a fully qualified part of the coaching team. It's great to see her confidence grow over the years, she is also fortunate to have female mentors like Beki and Sarah to be inspired by in the club. 

“It's great to see younger females coming into the sport and going on to inspire others.” 

Chair of the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Committee, Councillor Gwenda Shearer, said: “Congratulations to Jessica for her worthy selection but also for shining a light on paddlesport and taking full advantage of the plentiful resource that surrounds our islands!”