There were many time in the past 11 seasons when Emma Wiggs thought her Paralympic career might be over.
Not so much in the earlier seasons, when she was an early trailblazer in a brand new Paralympic sport that was still very much testing the global waters. In Rio in 2016, when paracanoe made its first tentative steps on the world stage, Wiggs was a star.
The British paddler had already been to a Paralympics, as captain of Great Britain’s sitting volleyball team in London in 2012. The switch to paracanoe, very much still a fledgling sport, came straight after the Paralympics, and she quickly showed her talent. By 2013 she was already a world champion.
In Rio many countries were still feeling their way in paracanoe. Wiggs went to the Games as a red-hot favourite, having already clocked up five world titles, and did not disappoint. Her role in showcasing the thrill and excitement on the waters of the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas can not be down played.
“It’s just so exciting to be part of that and to hopefully be one of the trailblazers to promote our sport and show what’s possible, because we definitely stood out at the Paralympic Games as an exciting sport,” Wiggs said.
Now Wiggs is about to embark on her 11th season, and, she hopes, qualification for a third Paralympic Games. Since Rio she successfully won gold in the new paracanoe category of VL2 in Tokyo, and silver in the KL2.
But what many did not know was the pain and distress Wiggs went through to even get to the start line in Japan. She struggled with a wrist injury that often left her in tears on the water, but rather than throw it all away, she pushed through.
On the eve of the 2023 season Wiggs says she feels stronger than ever, and ready to take on an ever-increasing field of up-and-coming paddlers eager to wrest the crown from her head.
“I can’t hide from the fact that every year I’m a year older, and these youngsters are coming through and it’s brilliant to see so much young talent across the world,” Wiggs said.
“I think I’ve still got a good few years in me. I think I’m quite lucky in that I always line up never expecting to win, and that element of self-doubt drives me on in my training.
“But I would love to be able to perform again for GB and grab another medal at another Games.”
Wiggs benefits from being part of the strongest paracanoe team in the world, where every day that she goes out on the water is like taking part in a world championships. The Brits are very, very good at every paracanoe level.
“I’m able to train with VL3’s and KL3’s, who are classes above me, so it’s good to be able to train with those guys who are leading their categories across the world,” Wiggs said.
“It’s hard some times because you feel like you’re the slow one, but we’ve got to work on our strength, and our strength is being able to train together six days a week, 49 weeks a year.”
Wiggs turns 43 this year. She’s had an incredible career already, and will forever be in the record books as one of paracanoe’s first ever Paralympic gold medalists. If everything goes to plan, she hopes after Paris to be one of only a handful of athletes who has won gold at every Paralympics since the introduction of paracanoe.
But don’t mention retirement, because Wiggs definitely won’t.
“LA would be nice, I’ve never been out there to compete,” she said.
“I don’t feel like it’s my last campaign, the youngsters are coming, but at the minute I still feel like I can make my boats faster, so I’m privileged to be part of it.”
The ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup begins in Szeged on Thursday and continues through to Sunday.
