Ryan Westley is a slalom canoeist and Olympic athlete from Exeter in Britain. Since entering the international circuit in 2009, he has won four medals at the World Championships, including two silvers in the C1 category (2018 and 2017) and two bronzes. Competing across every major tournament, he has also taken home a gold medal and two more bronzes from the European Championships, establishing himself as one of the global canoeing community’s most promising talents.
Based near his training facilities in Lee Valley after completing a Sports Science and Management degree, Westley made his senior international debut competition at the 2014 European Championships in Vienna. With a father who competed in Division 2 Canoe Slalom and an uncle who was British National Paragliding Champion, Westley has sporting victory in his blood. He states that his most treasured achievement was a bronze medal in men’s C1 at the opening World Cup at his home course of Lee Valley, with many family and friends watching him compete for the first time.
2016 saw Westley become the U23 European Champion in C1, a title that would point towards great things for the young sportsman: in 2018, he became the C1 European Champion Prague, going on to compete in the final off all four World Cups and showcasing undeniable talent at the highest level. Westley finished off this season with a silver in C1 at the Rio World Championships. 2019 was his sixth season on the British senior team.