Nikita Setchell

How I Started:

I went to my first competition at six weeks old! My parents both competed in canoeing, so it was inevitable that I would follow in their footsteps. I took part in my first competition aged eight, and as a family we moved closer to the white water course in Nottingham when I was 14. I’ve always loved the water, and competed to a high level in swimming too but made the decision to focus on paddling to enable me to reach my potential.

My Greatest Achievement:

My greatest achievement was becoming back to back U23 world champion. I was nervous competing because at the first world championship in Kayak Cross, at the time it was a fairly new sport and very different to the traditional canoe slalom.

When I won my first world title, I was undisputed champion, winning all of the races. The following year I was more nervous because I knew I was the one to beat. After a hard first round time trial, I fought back and won every head to head round and became two-time World Champion.

My Greatest Challenge:

My greatest challenge has been overcoming the disappointment of not making the Olympic team for the Paris 2024 Games. Following that, having to find the motivation to continue training after this was difficult but my coach and I wanted to process the lessons and come back stronger for LA 2028!

My Hobbies:

Outside of kayaking I enjoy climbing and bouldering, along with doing DIY projects and baking too! I enjoy upcycling different things for my apartment and I’m also trying to set up my own individual design business for graphic design.

My Future Aspirations:

In the future I want to compete at the LA 2028 Olympics, and then in the short term I want to become the Senior World Champion, along with going to the Paris European Championships which will actually be held on the Paris 2024 course. Alongside that, I want to begin using my product design and manufacturing engineering degree to explore that industry.