From Jersey police officer... to competitive paddleboarder

Wednesday 25 May 2022

A police detective whose post-baby hobby led her to become the Channel Islands’ top female paddleboarder has been awarded a £1,000 bursary to help her complete on the world stage.

When Verity Thomas first started stand-up paddleboarding (known as SUP) in 2012, the initial goal was to lose weight after the birth of her son.

But it quickly became more than a hobby - with the 39-year-old Public Protection Unit detective ranked as the number one female SUP racer in the Channel Islands. 

“In 2015, I was introduced to SUP racing and immediately fell in love with it – I've been competing ever since," she explained.

“I took part in National, European and international events between 2016 and 2019, making the podium on a few occasions.”

Pictured: Verity has only been SUP racing since 2015. (Catherine Hargreaves)

Locally, Verity was the first female to circumnavigate Jersey on a paddleboard as part of the Jersey Round Island Challenge and has also won the El Tico Heritage Race a number of times.

“With the pandemic affecting the sport I took on a challenge to paddle to the Ecréhous, which I completed in May 2021, and I’m currently the only person to have done this," she explained.

After a return to racing last September, she came 4th overall in the British 200m Sprints – the only competitor to make the final on an inflatable board.

To help her continue progressing, she applied for the 16th annual Jersey Clipper Bursary.

The annual awards, which aim to support islanders with maritime endeavours, form part of a legacy from the island's three campaigns in the Clipper Round-the-World Race, was established in 2007 through the generosity of UBS, Dandara and Les Pas Holdings.

Verity now plans to use it to help fund her travel and entry fees for the European Surf Federation’s ‘EuroSup’ in Denmark, the International Canoe Federation World Championships in Poland and the International Surf Association Paddleboard & SUP World Championships in Puerto Rico.  

The Jersey Clipper Bursary’s runner-up award of £500, meanwhile, went to Luke Paxton-Garnier (15), who currently sails Hobie 16 catamarans with the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club and Laser dinghies with the St. Catherine’s Sailing Club.

Later this year, he will be heading to Catalunya in Spain later this year to compete in the Hobie Worlds. 

He plans to use the money to fund dinghy instructor training and to continue his work as a volunteer with the Tall Ships Youth Trust.

Pictured: De La Salle pupil Luke, the Clipper bursary runner-up, is just 15 years old. (Rebecca Gueno)

He has recently returned from two trips with the Tall Ships Youth Trust where he volunteered as a Watch Assistant.

“These trips enabled me to improve my skills as a sailor and work as part of a team," Luke explained. “The bursary award will help me to continue my volunteering with the trust which allows other children, who may not be as privileged as I am, to get the chance to experience life as crew on a yacht. 

“It will also help me to complete my dinghy instructor training this summer in order to teach sailing at both RCIYC and SCSC.”

Pictured top: Jersey-born and educated Verity Thomas, who became a Police Constable in 2008 and is a detective in the Public Protection Unit and one of the Channel Islands' top paddleboarders. (Darren Wheeler)