Two sisters, Ameerah (9) and Kamilah (11) Hank, from Curro Aurora are excelling in canoeing and have both obtained their junior colours for the sports.
It all started three years ago when the sisters saw an advert in the papers inviting residents to join the Florida Lake Canoe Club. “We used to sit and do nothing in the holidays except watch TV. So we thought since we were not really busy we should join the canoe club,” Kamila said.
Younger sister Ameerah pips in that despite the challenges that they faced learning a new sport, it was after being encouraged to enter competitions that they fell in love with the sports. “Our dad helps us with our technique and our mother is our support system,” she added. Both sisters agree that the sport is very physical but with hard work and dedication, they have firmly set their sights on Tokyo 2020.
“My role model in canoeing is Bridgitte Hartley and I was absolutely thrilled when I met her at a race in Shongweni,” Kamilah said.
The sisters are always busy as they take part in swimming, netball, tennis, hockey, softball and dancing in various styles such as tap, modern, ballet and Hip-Hop.
Recently the sisters from Discovery collected maximum points to take home the gold medals for their first place podium positions in the U10 and U12 categories at the South African Canoe Marathon Championships held in Cape Town. “Because the girls don’t have a sponsor, we have to pay for everything out of pocket and when both girls qualified to go to Cape Town, we did not have funds for both girls to go so we initially decided that Kamilah and her dad would go because Ameerah had already obtained her junior colours. Fortunately, their uncle’s company stepped in and sponsored their trip to Cape Town,” said mother, Shrean. She added that they were looking for a sponsor to help them fulfil her daughters’ dreams to go to the Olympics in 2020. “We are very lucky that whichever sports our daughters try out, they excel at and even though we are kept busy by sports we are very proud of our daughters,” she added. She asked anyone who could sponsor the girls in their quest to contact her husband Shanie Hank.
Details: Shanie Hank, 061 474 7717 or rhank@austell.co.za
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