Nouria
Newman
France
·
Kayaking
Date of birth | September 9, 1991 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Chambéry, France |
Age | 34 |
Nationality | France |
Career start | 2010 |
Disciplines | White Water Kayaking |
While most paddlers struggle to master just one sport, Nouria Newman combines several of them. She competes in canoe, freestyle and extreme kayaking, and excels in each and every one of them. Her achievements in the various disciplines prove she’s one of a kind. In 2013 she won the Ottawa XL, one of the most important freestyle world meetings, followed that by taking K-1 silver at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, and just a few months later she was crowned extreme kayaking world champion.
The following year she won team gold at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships and team bronze at the European Championships. In 2016 she was runner-up at the Sickline Extreme Kayak World Championships and in 2017 took first place at the GoPro Mountain Games Steep Creek Championships.
As if competition wasn't enough for the seemingly inexhaustible athlete, Nouria ventured on a solo kayaking trip down the Tsarap, Zanskar and Indus rivers in the Himalayas in August 2018. During the week-long adventure she says she "cried, laughed and talked to myself like a crazy person."
Then, in 2021, Nouria ventured to Iceland and one of the most extreme spots on the planet, overcoming unpredictable weather during a near month-long stay that showcased the extreme nature of kayaking. That same year Nouria made history at the Pucuno Falls in Ecuador. Not only did the French paddler claim the first ever descent of Pucuno, but she also became the first female to ever run a hundred-plus foot (over 30 metres) waterfall.
Fast forward to 2023 and Nouria was in South America, taking on taking on Patagonia’s Rio Blanco, achieving first descents on various stretches of water from a glacial lake all the way down to the ocean.
It’s hard to understand how such an outstanding athlete would have any spare time to partake in any 'normal' activities, but she also has a masters in journalism and political science from Sciences Po Toulouse. “Journalism is actually very similar to kayaking,” she says. “You always have to adapt!” But that’s Nouria, always where you least expect her.