Freshman Danielle Sartori adds one more to her plethora of sports she has played this year, including volleyball, cross country, winter conditioning, and track. Danielle placed first in her age group in the 46th Annual Whitewater Championship on Saturday, March 16 through Sunday, March 17.

Her first kayaking race gave Danielle a promising future when other participants suggest she train for the Junior Olympics and then the Olympics. She placed 1st in her age group, and in novice, which means she had never placed before. She placed 2nd overall in women’s, and in downriver, which is distance.

“The race was really fun, and finishing first was awesome,” Danielle said.
The Sartori family has always been a member of the Missouri Whitewater Association. Their family sponsored the race Danielle participated in, which took place on the St. Francis River in Fredericktown, Missouri. The Sartori’s train mostly on the Meramec River just for fun and to work out. They often take trips to the Nantahala River in North Carolina.

“Nantahala was one of our first out of town rivers. We go there often because it’s beautiful and fun,” Danielle said.

Danielle currently practices with her father, but hopes to hire a certified kayaking coach in order to improve her skill to compete in the Junior Olympics. Danielle’s father has been kayaking for over 20 years and brought his children with him throughout the years. He especially loves kayaking when he can surf waves that form immediately after torrential rains when the creeks are flashing.

“Danielle is a powerhouse and very graceful on the water, an uncommon combination,” Joe Sartori said. She trained diligently throughout the winter, practicing in February and March in the cold Meramec River at night.

Throughout the race, 21 numbered gates are suspended above the rapids that kayakers and canoers negotiate in sequential order over about a tenth of a mile. Each gate is composed of two poles about three feet apart that the participants must paddle through. Some gates are green, which the paddlers just go straight through and some are red, which the paddlers pass on the outside of, turn around, and paddle upstream through. However, if a participant touches a pole of the gate five seconds is added to their finishing time and if a gate is completely missed 50 seconds is added to their time.

“I think whitewater kayaking is the best thing on the planet, and I am very lucky to be able to share this passion with Danielle,” Joe said.