Local canoe polo players awarded national colours

While training to represent South Africa at the ICF World Championship in France last year, Kyle Laxton and Kyle Buchler trained for six days a week and rested on Sundays.

They sweated and hurt themselves for four to five hours each day.

“We sweated in that gym. It hurt. But we felt the pain knowing we were going to represent our country in front of the world,” Laxton said.

The pain didn’t matter because they wanted to fulfil a promise they made to themselves seven years earlier as budding canoeists at the East Rand Kayak and Canoe Club at Homestead Dam.

Motivated by their idols who they often saw kitted in their full national colours, they set out to follow in their footsteps.

After seven years of sacrifices and toiling at the gym, they are complete.

They are now full internationals after being awarded their national colours at the ERK’s prize-giving ceremony in Emmarentia on January 21.

“It’s surreal,” 19-year-old Laxton said. “We used to idolise the other guys in their national colours and green blazers. We put in the work and now we finally have it.”

Laxton first entered a canoe as a Scout. Because of the thrills and physical benefits of canoeing, in particular canoe polo, he never looked back.

“Everything else is boring,” he said.

Canoe polo has taught them that discipline and hard work are the prerequisites for success, in sport or life, in general.

“You can be the most talented player ever. But talent alone can’t get you over the line. You have to work hard and be disciplined. For us, discipline and our work ethic got us where we are today,” Laxton said.

The pair has been consistently sparring together for years. They’ve formed a bond glued together by respect for each other and their peers, love and passion for the sport.

“It’s an amazing feeling to finally have the blazer on. We’ve worked so hard. We can’t believe it’s finally paid off.

We sacrificed our time. It didn’t feel like a sacrifice because we love and are passionate about the sport,” Buchler said.

The pair explained this achievement wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for their mentor Chris de Bree, who has been their rock since joining the ERK.

Their goal is to play in Europe where canoe polo is among the leading aquatic sports.

“We want to play at the highest level. But for us to go overseas, we realise we are ambassadors of the country. So we have to ensure we do the work now so that the second we go there, we can really make South Africa look good.”

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