Andrey Kraytor, SUP and C1 Coach, 2x World And European Champion

Coach Description:

Andrey Kraytor
SUP, C1 Coach
2x World And European Champion, 2016 Olympian – Rio Olympics

In addition to the fact that my father was a canoe coach, I grew up in a small town located on a beautiful river, there was not little choice for sports other than canoeing, as a result, I dove into C1 canoe racing and my love for paddling.

Most often, stories about how someone started paddling and what paddling means to them, start with a story of passion, lifestyle, and so on. For me, everything started a little differently, I saw the sport of C1 canoe racing as a tool, a tool for traveling to competitions inside of Ukraine where I come from. A tool for seeing the world.  That’s still a calling and a big motivation for me in racing to this day.

There was no doubt I had the ability, and with little effort, I was able to win competitions and get rewards, sometimes it was money, sometimes other gifts, and that, as a teenager,  motivated me!

From a young age, C1 sprint distances and sprinting were where I excelled, and that remains so to this day.  My goal and my result are to be dynamic, explosive, and fast!

At the age of 15, after winning a bronze medal at the Ukrainian championships, I approached my father and decided I wanted to win. He told me, well, then you would have to train seriously, be disciplined, and give up some social habits!  I had to focus on the sport, technique, strength, and train with one goal in mind, to win.  I remember this moment very well and my original desire to win!  It drives me in coaching, racing, and everything I do.

After that conversation, my career really started.  I won the junior championship of Ukraine, I graduated from high school and went on to compete for Azerbaijan, with which I won the first title of European under-23 (2011) champion, World Cup Champion 2012, and World Championship Silver!

After the 2012 Olympic cycle, I moved to Russia and won the title of the World U-23 and European u 23 Championship, 2 times the European and World Senior Championships, 4th place at the European Games, and the Olympic Games final!

It so happened that I did not become a C1 sports legend, most likely because I love life so much, and active and diverse life, and I wanted to experience as much as I could.

In 2017, with the announcement of the World Cup in SUP, and that the Russian national team would be going to this event for the first time, I immediately decided that I want to try my hand at 200 meters sprinting standing on the board, instead of kneeling! It was at this moment, that my experience of surfing and C1 canoeing was reunited into SUP and this symbiosis is now my way of life!

Beach culture and at the same time sporting ambitions to win hooked me!

I likened the start of this new sports path to that of a beginner, again, but this time at the age of 23.  Immediately I saw results and how my experiences, pulled together, made me a force to reckon with.  I immediately won the Russian Championship after only three weeks on the board, and a month later took 9th place in the ISA World Championship 2017!

Today is my 4th season on the board, I participated in the three World Championships with the best result in 4th place in 2019 in China, went to several stages of the Euro Tour, won all the races of the Russian Championship where I was at the start!

For the last three seasons, I have been trying to combine my job as a coach and my own progress in the Chinese national team coaching the women’s canoe, with which we won two gold medals at the last World Championships.

Since last year, I started working with Coach Larry’s technical analysis program and have been getting stronger by the day.  At that time, I became acquainted with the Paddle Monster platform. After working together for the last year, the Paddle Monster team approached me, we discussed what I could bring to the coaching team, and this turned into a chance for me to be part of the team.

All my experience during my career as a professional athlete, working with various specialists from all over the world, allowed me to deduce the principles of the training process in SUP by integrating it into my work schedule!

I believe that this will help everyone who does not have 24 hours 7 days a week to train, but is very motivated and wants to push their boundaries, like me!

My goal is to be better, I think of my main race as my next race, after I finish I leave all 100 percent of myself at the distance – satisfaction. if I place 1st, this is priceless, if it is not a victory, then it is the motivation to do more!

I’m looking forward to bring my experience, technique, and workout, and training approach to the Paddle Monster family.

Let’s push our boundaries, improve, and enjoy great sports together!

—Andrey

Training with Coach Andrey

All Paddlers Welcome

Paddle athletes on the All-Access plan receive weekly training programs and discussions with Coach Andrey for Standup Paddleboarding (SUP) and C1 canoe. Advanced, Intermediate, and Novice programs adapted for your schedule and goals. Andrey has Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, and Warm Climate Programs. So wherever you are in the world, Andrey has a program that will help you grow.