Devastated. Disappointed. Gutted. Sad. These are some of the many words Emma Wiggs used to describe what she felt as she made the difficult decision not to compete internationally this year, in an interview with the International Canoe Federation .
Winning her third successive Paralympic title at Paris 2024, she was instrumental in Great Britain finishing top of the medals table in Paracanoe with four golds and four silvers.
But little did people know the pain she was in, as she powered through at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Struggling with a shoulder injury for 18 months leading into the Paralympic Games, a specialist confirmed in March last year that Wiggs would require surgery.
However, with the Games only a few months away, the multiple world champion decided to wait until after the event.
“It was difficult going into the Games knowing we would have to adapt so much of our training from March. For example, I had to take out all my bench press and some hard physical work on the water to try and manage the shoulder condition,” Wiggs said.
“It was a very different experience to line up in Paris, knowing I hadn’t done everything I’d wanted to, but I’d done everything I could have, given the situation.”
After adding a KL2 silver to her VL2 gold in France, Wiggs finally went under the knife in October to take away some of the bone in the shoulder.
While the operation was successful, recovery took longer than expected, leading the 44year-old to make the tough call to sit out the 2025 international season.
“It’s a bit of a challenging year for me, with only being back on the water recently, we’ve decided not to race at all internationally this year,” she said.
“Whilst we were having conversations about my chances of racing, it suddenly felt reassuring to hear that Lisa Carrington was also having a break from international racing. If the greatest of all time can do it, then surely, we can too!”
Back in training six days a week, Wiggs thanked Paddle UK and the UK Sports Institute for their support especially Charlie Wade (physio) and Matt Abel (S&C).
“I’ve been doing this sport since 2013, and I’ve never missed an international season. It feels like a real loss to sit here and acknowledge that we’re not ready to race. But equally, I’m seeing this as an unusual and valuable opportunity.”
Ekaitz Saies, head coach for Paddle UK, said: “It has been truly inspiring to witness the way Emma has approached her recovery from surgery, with patience, discipline, and determination.
“When I first joined Paddle UK at the beginning of this year, she was just starting to try getting back into the boat. I still remember that first attempt: she fell into the water, which was startling for her and worrying for us. But she wasn’t deterred. She continued with her steady, thoughtful return, and it makes me happy to see her already paddling so well, just a few months on from that day.
“What I find remarkable is how she has rebuilt herself from the ground up, focusing on the fundamentals of our sport and building steadily from each improvement. In the pursuit of high performance, elite athletes rarely have the time to revisit the basics, but Emma has embraced this opportunity with grace and intent”.
The full ICF feature can be read here.