Fleurhof’s rising paddling star Amile Mzolo, has performed exceptionally well at the annual Canoe Marathon Championships and was the first female in the U10 age category.
The Gauteng Canoe Union held the championship the first weekend of June at Roodeplaat Dam serving as a selection event for the Gauteng Provincial Team to compete at the South African Championships this weekend (June 14–16). The national event will also determine the international team that will represent South Africa in Metkovic, Croatia in September.
Amile, the daughter of Nkosi Mzolo and a member of the Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club (SCARC), fared well when she managed to be the first female to finish, meaning she qualified to be part of the provincial team in her age group.
The competition featured various clubs from all over Gauteng who competed in various distances like the 10km dash race category.
According to Jennie Dallas, the Gauteng Union media liaison, the union races follow a traditional format that includes a short portage section which is where paddlers take the boat out of the water and run or walk a short distance, then display their efficiency at putting the boat back into the water smoothly and quickly to continue racing. The ability to get out and back into the water smoothly and efficiently plays an important part in achieving well at marathon races.
