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TO CANOE SLALOM IN MONTGOMERY, THE ROAD TO PARIS RUNS RIGHT THROUGH OUR STATE. �������� 13 S EMMA OWEN REPORTS FROM MONTGOMERY. SHE TELLS US MORE ABOUT THE WEEKEND’S TRIALS. DAYS FROM NOW, MONTGOMERY WHITEWATER WILL BE TRANSFORMED. OLYMPIAN S AND OLYMPIC HOPEFULS RACING DOWN THESE RAPIDS VYING FOR THEIR SPOT IN PARIS 2024 AS MONTGOMERY WHITEWATER CEO DAVID HEPP EXPLAINS, THE TRIALS FOR TWO OLYMPIC EVENTS ARE HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND CANOE SLALOM AND A SPORT THAT’S BRAND NEW TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES KAYAK CROSS. IT’S MORE OF A HEAD TO HEAD, UH, THERE’S MORE COMBAT. THEY THEY THEY JUMP OFF OF A RAMP AT THE TOP OF THE WHITEWATER CHANNEL FOUR AT A TIME, AND THEN THEY VIE THROUGH THE WHITEWATER, AND THEN TOP TWO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ROUND. IT’S LIKE A ROUND ROBIN HOOPS FACILITY. ALSO HOSTING THE JUNIOR AND UNDER 23 NATIONAL TEAM TRIALS THIS WEEKEND. IN ADDITION TO THE FIRST HALF OF THE SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM TRIALS. NOW, GETTING TO THIS POINT, IT’S NO EASY TASK. THESE ATHLETES PUT IN COUNTLESS HOURS OF HARD WORK YEAR ROUND, ALL IN HOPES OF SECURING THEIR SPOT ON THE U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM. ATHLETES LIKE TYLER WESTFALL, U.S. NATIONAL TEAM MEMBER, FEELING THE PRESSURE AND EXCITEMENT OF IT ALL. NOT ONLY IS HE COMPETING, BUT SO ARE SOME OF THE KIDS HE COACHED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I’M SUPER EXCITED TO SEE HOW THEY PERFORM AND LIKE, EXCITED FOR THEM. AND THEN THERE’S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF NERVES AROUND SENIOR TEAM TRIALS. YOU HAVE TO MAKE TOP THREE EVERY YEAR TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE COMPETING AT WORLD CUPS AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, SO THERE’S DEFINITELY SOME PRESSURE ON THAT. BUT, UM, ALL IN ALL, I FEEL PRETTY GOOD GOING INTO IT. IT’S EXCITING TO BE ON A NEW COURSE THIS YEAR, SO WE’RE ENJOYING THAT. THE COURSE MAY BE NEW, BUT WESTFALL IS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE SPORT HE’S BEEN PADDLING SINCE THE AGE THAT MOST KIDS ARE LEARNING HOW TO WRITE THEIR NAME. MY DAD’S SIDE OF THE FAMILY OWNS A SUMMER CAMP IN MARYLAND THAT HEAVILY FOCUSES ON KAYAKING, SO I GREW UP GOING THERE. MY DAD TAUGHT ME HOW TO PADDLE, AND I GREW UP LIKE AROUND A LOT OF GREAT PADDLERS. THE D.C. AREA IS FILLED WITH LIKE, GREAT SLALOM ATHLETES AND LIKE A LONG HISTORY OF GOOD SLALOM ATHLETES. SO I’VE JUST BEEN AROUND THE THE SPORT FOR A LONG TIME. I STARTED PADDLING WHEN I WAS LIKE FOUR YEARS OLD AND STARTED COMPETING FOR FUN WHEN I WAS LIKE 6 OR 7 AND, AND THEN JUST IT JUST GREW INTO LIKE A PASSION OF MINE, A PASSION SHARED BY HEPP, WHO IS A TEN TIME NATIONAL TEAM MEMBER. I WATCHED MY HUSBAND ON THE US TEAM FOR TEN YEARS. WE RAISED OUR FAMILY WHILE HE WAS ON THE TEAM. AS THEY PREPARE TO WELCOME ATHLETES THIS WEEKEND, STACEY HEPP, DAVID’S WIFE AND RACE DIRECTOR FROM MONTGOMERY WHITEWATER, REFLECTS ON THE EFFORT HER FAMILY HAS PUT INTO THE SPORT. EARLY MORNING TRAINING TIMES. UM, THERE’S TRAVELING ABROAD, THERE’S WORLD CUPS, THERE’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, EVERY SINGLE, EVERY SINGLE EVENT LENDS TO THAT NEXT ONE. A BUSY BUT BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE. ACCORDING TO HEPP. FELLOW ATHLETES BECOMING MORE LIKE A BIG FAMILY, ONE THEY HOPE CONTINUES TO GROW. I THINK A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES ARE GOING TO COME UP FOR KIDS TO GET INVOLVED IN THESE SPORTS HERE IN MONTGOMERY IN THE COMING YEARS, SO IT’S WORTH KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, GETTING YOUR TOES WET, LITERALLY AND KIND OF CHECKING THE SCENE OUT, A SCENE, HEPP SAYS IS UNIQUE. THE FACILITY OPENED LAST SUMMER AND OFFERS RAFTING, KAYAKING, CLIMBING AND MORE RESOURCES USED BY BEGINNERS, OLYMPIANS AND EVERY SKILL LEVEL IN BETWEEN. WE HAVE PROGRAMS HERE YOU CAN LEARN TO KAYAK AND WE WANT TO GET THE COMMUNITY BIRMINGHAM, YOU KNOW, MOBILE MONTGOMERY PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT LIKE THIS IS A KIND OF A LIFE SPORT THAT YOU CAN LEARN AS A KID AND DO FOR FOREVER. ON THE ROA