Vincents’ paddling passion flows across Canada

Lexy Vincent was excited and proud to watch her parents win a 200-kilometre marathon canoe race last month in Ontario.

This week, Fiona Vincent will experience the same emotions as she cheers on her daughter, a kayaker, at the Canada Games.

Lexy hit the water at the Canada Games Monday and captured gold in the K-2 1,000 metres with Genevieve L’Abbe. She’s also racing in the K-1 5,000 metres and K-4 200.

But it’s an even bigger family affair that spans four provinces.

The five-member family hails from Saskatchewan, but Lexy is part of Team Ontario as she lives in Ottawa and attends Carleton University. Her brother Fearghus is working in Whitehorse for the summer and is a kayak/canoe assistant coach for Team Yukon, while the oldest brother Kenzie lives in Winnipeg and is a co-ordinator for the athletes village.

“I think it’s kind of your epitome of what sport has to offer to people,” Fiona said.

She and husband Mike always encouraged their offspring to do outdoor activities, especially canoeing and kayaking from a young age. Their sons have also competed and now Kenzie does marathon races like his parents.

The couple won the competitive class of the Kingston-to-Ottawa 200 race last month in a Rideau Canal record time of 21 hours eight minutes 39 seconds. The old record was 23:07:34. The non-stop, 200-kilometre event included 22 portages and a prize of $500.

One of their pit crew members was Lexy, who helped provide food, water and moral support.

“I was in awe at being able to watch my parents go through that as I got to see the whole race, all the effort that was needed and all the spots where they got so tired that any other person would have quit, but instead where they kept going,” Lexy, 20, said.

Her grandfather, 75-year-old Bob Vincent, also did the race, but in the adventure class that allows a crew to help with portaging.

Lexy’s goal is to make Canada’s under-23 world kayak team and ultimately compete at an Olympic Games.

“We think her potential is limitless, really,” Mike said. “She’s a wonderful young woman. She’s been working very, very hard.”

Mike used to compete in the sport nationally, while Fiona had been a national-level swimmer.

The couple — he’s a physical therapist and she’s a health and wellness programmer for the RCMP in Regina — volunteered when the summer Canada Games was held in Regina in 2005.