Sean McGrath

Sean has been paddling for over 20 years and has paddled on most continents around the world.

After a qualifying as a Building Manager at Wolverhampton University, Sean turned to the outdoor industry for employment as a way to spend more time paddling whilst maintaining an income, of sorts. Over the next ten years Sean's passion for paddling took him to many different rivers in a variety of boats.

During this period Sean gained a massive range of experiences, which included:

• Rafting and kayaking many of the classic rivers in the Nepalese Himalaya.
• Spending more time than most in the French Alps.
• Taking Sandhurst officers (and their girlfriends) to the Pyrenees.
• Going upside down on the Zambezi in a variety of different ways and places.
• Learning to raft guide in Spanish during a surprise trip to Argentina.
• Encouraging children to paddle, climb, sing songs and generally enjoy the outdoors, at a number of outdoor centres.
• Working in various not very exciting jobs to fund paddling trips in Britian, Europe and anywhere else he could get to.

Eventually Sean decided it was time to do something with a view to the future, and to make his mother proud. Sean settled in Nottingham where he bounced rubber rings at the National Watersports Centre and started to develop coaching skills to match his paddling experience.

Sean has since provided adventurous experiences for disaffected young people, homeless people and young people in crisis; managed a very successful instructor training course for young people in Ireland: taught Maths and English and set up a crisis intervention unit in Derbyshire.

Sean now manages a small family of two beautiful little girls and a brilliant wife (who actually does most of the managing). He also runs Wild River and in his limited spare time paddles whenever possible. Sean is also is a representative on the BCU Canoe Technical Group.

His mother is very proud!

British Canoeing

Level 5 Coach (Inland)
Level 4 Canoe
Level 2 Raft Guide

Training and Assessment Director for Paddlesport Instructor and Coach Courses

Assessor for Advanced White Water Kayak Leader

Moderate Water Leader Trainer in Canoe and White Water Kayak

National Trainer for Moderate Water Canoe and White Water Kayak

Provider of Advanced and Standard White Water Safety and Rescue Training

Aquatic First Aid Provider

Mountain Leader Training Board

Single Pitch Supervisor’s Award

Mountain Leader Award