Canoe Slalom World Championships: Locals inspired by Lee Valley

James Kettle competes in the C1 class (solo canoe) and Phoebe Spicer in the K1 and C1 (solo kayak and canoe)

Athletes representing Team GB at the Canoe Slalom World Championships said they were inspired by watching the London 2012 Olympics Games.

James Kettle and Phoebe Spicer have been training at the Lee Valley Water Centre in Hertfordshire, which hosts the tournament starting on Tuesday.

The venue was purpose built to host canoe slalom for the Olympics.

"I wouldn't be doing slalom if this place wasn't built," said Spicer, who lives in nearby Hoddesdon.

The 23-year-old was discovered through British Canoeing's Talent ID programme at a local school when she was 13 years old.

"A lot of my family can't watch me when I race abroad, so it'll be really cool for them to watch it," she said.

Lee Valley Water Centre officially opened in 2011, ready for the Olympic Games the following year

When the Lee Valley Water Centre hosted the Olympics, an 11-year-old Kettle was watching in the crowd.

"I remember when I first started, seeing the top paddlers and saying 'I want to be like that'," he said.

"I can hopefully pass that on to young up-and-coming paddlers"

Kettle, who turns 22 on Tuesday, said living just six miles up the Lee Valley in Broxbourne provided opportunities to try the sport.

"My closest course other than this is up in Nottingham... a long drive, [without Lee Valley] I might not have even got into it."

'Inspire more people'

The International Canoe Federation's championships is a six-day event finishing on Sunday, 24 September.

About 300 athletes from across the world will compete at the venue, which is just north of the M25.

The event is a qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Speaking from the Lee Valley Water Centre, Olympic champion Joe Clarke MBE said "there's plenty of youngsters on the up and coming programs that are all local to here".

"Hopefully this world championship will inspire more people in the local area to get involved in the sport as well," he added.