Ray Goodwin is the UK’s best known and (many would go so far as to say) foremost canoe coach. For 40 years Ray has been introducing people to, and developing people’s skills in, the great outdoors.
Ray has paddled all over the UK, as well as extensively in Europe. His ground-breaking British canoe journeys include the first circumnavigation of Wales and the first unsupported canoe crossing of the Irish Sea, as well as gruelling journeys across Scotland.
Ray’s experience extends far and wide, with his paddling career having taken him to four continents. Ray’s North American canoe expeditions have taken him south to the Rio Grande and as far north as the Arctic Circle. Ray’s North American exploits been have not been limited to open boats either; in kayak he has made two descents of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River.
A British Canoe Union Level 5 Coach in Canoe, Inland Kayak, and Sea Kayak, Ray was the first coach to be assessed to Level 5 in three disciplines. As if Ray’s skill and achievements in paddling weren’t enough, he is also holds the Mountaineering Instructor’s Certificate (MIC).
Ray is an active writer in the field of canoeing with his articles appearing in various publications. Ray wrote two chapters of the BCU Canoe and Kayak Handbook as well as sections in the standard UK textbook on White Water Safety and Rescue.
Ray’s own book, Canoeing, was first published in 2011, with the second edition being published in 2016. In recent years he has been also building his YouTube channel.
In the 2019 New Year’s Honours List, Ray was awarded an MBE for his services to canoeing.
In 2020, Ray became a Council Member of The Canadian Canoe Museum in Ontario, Canada.
Ray brings his experience and expertise to the GBS as a speaker and as the leader of the Expedition and Canoeing Skills Theme Camp.