Young paddlers make waves in international regatta
The team headed to Slovakia where they competed in the Olympic Hopes Regatta.
A team of 12 paddlers aged between 15 to 17 years old recently represented South Africa in the Olympic Hopes Regatta held in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Some of the paddlers, aged between 15 to 17 years old, train at the Dabulamanzi Canoe Club.
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According to the team manager for the tour Jodie Ellinor-Dreyer, this year’s regatta saw 40 countries and more than 800 competitors take part. Some of the categories that the team raced in were the K1 200m, 500m and 1km; K2 200m and 500m; as well as the K4 200m and 500m and 10 of the paddlers made it to the semi-finals.
As the team’s flight back was via Austria, they were invited to spend some time at the South African embassy in Vienna. “The ambassador, minister and embassy staff treated the team to lovely tea where they engaged with all the athletes. It was a super special and memorable event,” concluded Dreyer.
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