Michael Gordema who has only been a canoe sprinter for a few months has achieved so much in a very short time.
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A member of the Florida Lake Canoe Club (FLCC), resident of Krugersdorp, and Hoërskool Roodepoort learner, the 14-year-old superstar excelled at the South African Canoe Sprint Championships held from 28 April until 30 April at Victoria Lake Canoe Club.
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Michael was racing in the mixed doubles U14 (5 000m) race with his partner Chane Steyn competing against other talented sprinters from clubs nationwide including the Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng.
They were among the best racers finishing in the Top 10 and will be paddling through to the semi-finals. Michael is proud of his development so far but is hungry for more success.
“I can already see myself collecting the medal on the podium,” he said.
He now hopes for greatness and aims to be a top finisher at the SA Championships to represent South Africa at the World Sprint Championships taking place in Germany in August this year.
The coaches of the young sprinter Macdonald Nkosi and Gcina Nkabinde are proud of their young stars and hope that they will succeed in the semi-finals of the championships taking place in June.