Canoeist makes South Africa proud

WESTVILLE-RAISED canoeist Hamish Lovemore returned triumphant from the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Ponte de Lima, Portugal.

Lovemore, the U23 Marathon World Champion, says he was always ‘mad about surfing’ and had to find a new sport once he started boarding school in Hilton. The athlete says he trained in the school’s dam and then went daily to Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg, which is the start for the Dusi Canoe Marathon.

“My brother, Tom, raced the Junior World Champs in 2015. I started taking it more seriously in Grade 10 and began training for flat-water marathon which became my favourite discipline.”

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The journey

Since leaving school, the sportsman has dedicated his life to his sport, has trained full-time for the past two years and is ‘putting a big effort into paddling’. He has three daily training sessions, including a morning and afternoon paddling session and a midday run or gym session. Friday is a day off with endurance training undertaken on the weekend.

Lovemore says he is part of Team Euro Steel and the Mac Squad (the McGregor Squad). Hank McGregor, who has been world champion 13 times, is both a training partner and mentor. Hank’s father Lee is Lovemore’s coach.

“Lee’s been a huge influence in my career and part of my journey. This year, he moved to America, but we still speak daily, and it’s working well for me. More than giving me training programmes, Lee understands me mentally, chats to me before races, and keeps me calm. He is an asset I have that no one else has,” says Lovemore.

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The training regime

The canoeist spent some time in Europe before the World Championships, competing in other races and training.

“I raced in Spain the first weekend of August, spent three weeks in Denmark training, was in Hungary for Sprint World Champs for a week where I got a bronze medal for the 5000m event, then was in Portugal for a month. There I transitioned from sprint training to marathon training.”

Lovemore’s family travelled to Portugal to support him in the World Championship event.

“To win your first world title and to have your mom, dad and sisters there, made it even more special. My bother wasn’t there, unfortunately, which was sad because we shared the dream together. Without the amazing support of my family, I wouldn’t be able to make my dreams come true My team and Hank were there. I was really happy,” says Lovemore.

The event, which is fast-paced and exciting, is often described as the Formula One of canoeing. The U23 race comprises of seven 3.9km laps, which each include a 100m sprint out of the water carrying the canoe. Lovemore says that getting in and out of the boat at speed requires skill.

“It’s easy to make a mistake when getting in and out of your canoe, and when the stakes and pace are so high, and the pressure so hard, it could cost you your race,” he says.

The champ says that South Africans train in harsh conditions.

“We don’t make excuses, and internationally, we have a bit more heart and a bit more hunger to show what we can do,” says Lovemore.

What do you do next after winning the World Championship?

“I’m only the U23 World Champion, so it’s a huge step in the right direction, but I’m not the Senior World Champ, which is my end goal. I’ll stop once I’ve won the senior title. I’m definitely not finished yet, and I’ve come back with more motivation than ever,” says Lovemore.

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