Chelmsford Canoe Club's Slade Warne and Paul Anderson are off across the world to represent Great Britain in the World Whitewater Championships which start this week in New Zealand.

Paul flies out tomorrow and Slade follows three days later to take on the world's best in what is, along with downhill skiing, physically one of the toughest sports in the world.

The championships run for a month during which the Chelmsford duo have to compete in three classic races plus another three sprint races before hopefully accumulating enough points to compete in the final sprint race.

Both are hoping for a top five finish.

The championships are a culmination of months of hard training by the pair who once they return immediately resume training for the European Championships being staged in June.

Slade began canoeing in 1976 where after six weeks tuition, canoed across the Channel, then joined the youth team, progressing to the senior team.

Both of them have been members of Chelmsford Canoe Club for 15 years.

Ironically, Slade originally coached Paul and they did become partners for a short time, but due to their individual work commitments they decided it was not feasible, although when they were partners, they did represent Great Britain at World Cup level in 1992 and 1994.

This time Paul has been selected to take part in the championships as an individual, while fellow competitor Nick Redshaw, 29, has paired up with Slade in the doubles.

Slade, 37, works for CGU, while Paul, 27, works for Essex Police.

The cost of competing at world level is also proving to be extremely expensive for the pair and they are now launching an appeal through This Is Essex for sponsorship from local businesses.

If you can help them in any way please write to Slade Warne, c/c Sports Desk, Essex Chronicle Series, Westway, Chelmsford CM1 3BE.

On the water . . Slade Warne and Paul Anderson get in some late practise in Chelmsford before setting off for the World Whitewater Championships in New Zealand.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.