THERE’S just no stopping La Lucia’s Kyeta Purchase. The 17-year-old has recently been named as a finalist for the sports junior section of The World Paddle Awards (WPA). The annual event celebrates the most remarkable men and women from the world of paddlesports along with their achievements from the previous calendar year.
The Our Lady of Fatima pupil is one of three South Africans to be named as nominees and includes world marathon champ and Ballito resident, Hank McGregor.
“I’m honoured to be considered and I’m excited at the same time. The awards will be held in Portugal and if you win, they fly you up on an all expenses paid trip. It’s also quite something to be alongside names like Hank McGregor and Kim Pople. I’ve shared the links to the voting website on my Facebook. My school mates and family have all gotten behind me and voted already which is awesome,” she said.
To vote for Kyeta, follow this link and click on the black thumbs up icon at the bottom of the page to record your vote.
Some of Kyeta’s achievements:
- 2016: Second in Senior K2 and third Junior K1 at World Marathon Championships in Germany. First in the U18 Berg River Marathon. First in the U18 category at the Dusi Canoe Marathon in a K2.
- 2015: First and new record at the U23 Hansa Fish River Marathon. First at the U18 Ocean Racing World Championships and KwaZulu-Natal Junior Sportswoman of the Year.