The Swift Water Paddlers, the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains' canoe racing team, once again brought home medals from the General Clinton Canoe Regatta in Bainbridge, N.Y.
Girl Scouts from Derry who are on the winning team are Kelsey Rose and Sophie Blood. Girl Scouts from Londonderry are Alandra Horton and Danielle Jellison. The team is made up of 30 Girl Scouts ages 11-18 from New Hampshire and Vermont who compete each Memorial Day weekend against other Girl Scout teams from across the Northeast. On May 23, in the Six-Person Girl Scouts Relay, the Swift Water Paddlers came in first and second. In the Four-Person Girl Scouts Relay, the Swift Water Paddlers took first, fourth, sixth and 11th place.
The week before, in Wolfeboro, at the Great Smith River Canoe and Kayak Race on May 16, Swift Water Paddlers came in first place in the Two Girls Class. Michelle Gardner and Amanda Vallee of Manchester had a time of 47:17. In the Two Women Class, Swift Water Paddlers alumnae Megan Chamberlain of Starksboro, Vt., and Lori Frisella of South Burlington, Vt., took first in 44:04. Two current Swift Water Paddlers, Tess Cunningham and Molly Friedman Cowan of Manchester, were third in 46:44.
Since 2001, according to the official results on www.canoeregatta.org, the team has come in first in the six-person relay six times; second in the six-person relay four times, taking both places on several occasions. Over the decades they racked up many more first- and second-place finishes. In the four-person relay they have come in first three times since 2001 and second place once.
Depending on the girls' strengths that year, sometimes they compete in the sprint races team. Team Director Laura Betts of Weare was on the very first team 32 years ago, under canoe racer and Girl Scout camp ranger Bill Roberts. Betts teaches in Amherst.
Each year, once the snow and ice are gone from Stebbins Pond in Bedford, girls from sixth grade through high school meet every weekend for a four-hour practice, building endurance and upper-body strength, and learning to work as a team and with their race partner. Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains' CEO Patricia Mellor was on the team as a girl.
