The water is foaming, your heart is racing, muscles aching, mind focused on one goal…the finish line.
And suddenly you shoot forward, past the goal and into your own personal record book and on your way to your dream.
This may not even come close to what Alan McCracken, a local teen, was feeling recently when he crossed the finish line at the USA Wildwater Team Trials held on Stoneycreek River in Johnstown earlier this month and joined Team USA for competition in Slovenia later this year.
McCracken, age 15, is the son of Crystal English and the late Alec McCracken, and grandson of the former owners of McCracken Canoe Sales and Rental, Dave and Lynda McCracken.
He says he started racing because of his grandparents, for whom life is the waterways of central Pennsylvania and the beauty of the Pennsylvania Wilds and who have hosted races in the past.
Most of his racing has been done on what is called flatwater, the nice, calm waters we think of on lakes or smooth streams.
But then he heard that the USA Wildwater was holding team trials in Pennsylvania and thought it would be something if he could make the team.
So for three weeks he trained hard, even competing in the Red Moshannon Down River Race at the end of March where he crossed the finish line sixth out of 140.
Grandmother Lynda McCracken noted that his training on the Red Mo was part of the process to prepare for trails.
“He went under the finish line upside down, but still in the boat!” she said.
He won’t be the only person from our area who made the team either, she said.
Other teammates include Alden Henrie of Snow Shoe, who is in his early 20s, Lincoln Meiser-Rioux, who lives near State College, and Ava Harchack, age 17 of Bellwood.
The group will soon leave for Italy to train at the wildwater park there, which is similar to the one they’ll compete on at Solkan, Slovenia July 1-5.
“It felt amazing to qualify for the team,” Alan McCracken said, adding that the next step is more training and traveling to Europe for the International Canoe Federation’s 2025 ICF Junior and U23 Wildwater Canoeing Championships.
“It really is a dream come true,” he said, adding that he will also be competing in the USCA Flatwater National Championships for fifth sprint championship and fourth marathon championship.
Those events are scheduled for Aug. 7-10 in Northfield, MA.
For more information and to keep and eye on Team USA, visit www.canoeicf.com, www.americancanoe.org and www.uscacanoe.org to follow the flatwater competitions.
