| It is with great sadness that the Club announces the passing of James Smythe on Monday 18th April 2022 after a short second battle with cancer. James started his paddling career in the mid 1980’s at Wey Kayak Club, finishing his first Devizes to Westminster 125 Mile Canoe Race (DW) with them in junior K2 in 1987. He then went to university and raced for Royal Lemington Spa before moving to Nottingham. By this time he was a Men’s A sprinter, Div 1 marathon paddler, and represented Great Britain at two World Cups in Hungary in 1994 and South Africa in 1995, as well as competing for GB at other races on the international circuit. In 1995 he also took the bronze at the National Marathon Championships in Senior K1. He then took a break and moved to France before returning and joining Leaside in 2001 and latterly Bishops Stortford in 2016. In his very first race in a Bishops Stortford vest he took silver in Veteran 35-44 K2 at the National Marathon Championships before winning the Bill Sparks trophy for the fastest veteran K2 at the Hasler Finals later that same year. |  Waterside D – Full kit rehearsal ahead of DW in 2016 [photo: Chris Worrall] |
 First race in a Stortford vest at the National Marathon Championships 2016 |  Start line of Hasler Finals 2016 |
On his return to paddling he started to drive the minibus and trailer to international events and later became Team Manager for the GB Marathon Team. He became secretary of the Marathon Racing Committee and has had a big influence on what happens in the sport today. Although not necessarily a regular attendee at the Club, he proudly raced in his Stortford vest and volunteered at many of the Club’s races.
Leighton Buzzard Hasler 2017 [photo: Chris Worrall]
In late 2019 James first discovered he had cancer. In April 2020 he had an operation to remove his kidney and other areas with tumours in his abdomen and had a further operation in December 2020 to remove a lump behind his lung. Probably his most impressive achievement was to come back from this to win the Veteran 45-54 K2 at the National Marathon Championships in 2021.
As well as marathon racing James very much enjoyed surfski paddling and spent lots of time paddling out of Southend and other places in recent years and raced surfski a few times too.
Surfski in Devon in 2020
In December 2021 James found out some lumps were detected on his routine scan and in February he was told these were inoperable. James leaves behind his wife Catherine and son Ollie.
Summary of achievements:
- Bronze – Senior K1 – National Marathon Championships
- 6 x Veteran – National Marathon Championships medalist, 4 of them Gold
- 1st Veteran K2 at Hasler Finals
- Waterside Series Veteran K2 winner and A & C course record holder (with the C record still standing today)
- 3 x DW finisher including 2nd overall and 1st Veteran K2
- GB Marathon Team member for several years
