Amanzimtoti lad to compete overseas
Also read: First race of canoe series done and dusted
Jimmy began his canoeing journey at the age of eight under the guidance of his first coach, Brent Chiazzari of the Toti Canoe Club. Currently he is coached by Olympian paddler Tiffany Koch.
'When I saw the official announcement that I had been selected for the South African team to compete in Portugal, I was absolutely over the moon. I couldn't stop smiling the entire afternoon. I immediately started messaging all my friends and family, although most of them already knew, as my mother had proudly shared the news the moment it was released,' said Jimmy.
This will be his first time representing South Africa on the world stage, and he is deeply honoured. He is in peak physical condition, having trained around 10 hours per week.
'Four of those hours are in the gym early in the mornings before school, and the remaining six are spent on the water, putting in focused paddling sessions. Mentally, I've been watching as many race videos as I can from previous events held in Portugal on the same course. This helps me visualise the environment so that it feels familiar when I finally get there to compete,' he said.
Also read: Warnadoone lifesavers achieve podiums at national sports event
Canoeing gives Jimmy the opportunity to challenge himself and push his limits. He said what he loves the most is being able to measure his progress each year at the South African sprint championships, where he races against some of the fastest boys in the country.
'I'm incredibly fortunate to be sponsored for both international trips. For the Italy tour, my parents created a Back-a-Buddy campaign, and I'm immensely grateful to the Toti Canoe Club and all my friends and family who supported me through that. For the Portugal World Championships, I'm fortunate enough to say that KZN Canoeing has sourced funding, and I'm very thankful for their support,' he said.
For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.
Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
6 hours ago
- eNCA
Gayton's Tweets: Will He Survive Racism Storm?
Will the Minister Sports, Arts and Culture keep his job? Plus, Micah Reddy from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists explains the successes and challenges of investigative journalism, and Legal expert Emma Sadlier breaks down how South African law affects the internet.
IOL News
7 hours ago
- IOL News
Dewald Brevis ready to ride the Proteas rollercoaster after record-breaking T20I ton
Dewald Brevis raises his bat to the heavens after reaching his maiden T20I century against Australia in Darwin on Tuesday. Picture: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix EVER since Dewald Brevis first stole the spotlight when he topped the run-scorers charts at the ICC Under-19 World Cup he's had to live with the moniker 'Baby AB' in reference to Proteas legend and his childhood hero AB de Villiers. But three years later on a balmy night in Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia, Brevis lifted the immense weight of expectation off his shoulders to become his own man through an innings for the ages. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Brevis eclipsed everything De Villiers achieved in a Proteas T20I shirt – and in fact anyone that's ever worn it – by booming an undefeated 125 not out off 56 balls (12X4, 8X6) to power the Proteas to series-levelling 53-run victory over Australia. 'I've always believed that this is where I need to be and where I will be,' he said. 'So, I never had any doubt. It's all about cricket, how things work out. It is a roller coaster, you have your ups, you have your downs, and yeah, I've never ever doubted myself. This is just for me the start.' The second-quickest T20I hundred from a South African player! Dewald Brevis, take a bow 👏#AUSvSA — (@cricketcomau) August 12, 2025 Records aplenty were left in the dust at the Marrara Stadium. Brevis is now the holder of South Africa's highest individual T20I score, having surpassed Faf du Plessis' 119 not out against the West Indies a decade ago, the second-fastest T20I hundred off 41 balls and the youngest South African to hit a century in the shortest format. The beauty lies in the simplicity of Brevis' batting. He hits the ball long and hard, has quick feet, quicker hands and an uncomplicated method which comprises largely drives and pulls of equal ferocity. Ironically, the first time he attempted anything out of De Villiers' 360° manual off the first ball after he reached three-figures, he promptly fell over in a mess attempting a ramp shot. Sixty-six runs were struck straight down the ground – with a half dozen sixes blasted in the 'V' – and when the Australian seamers tried to go short, he had enough good fortune on the night to top-edge a few more boundaries over the wicket-keeper's head. 'To be honest, I think that's just my natural way of hitting,' Brevis said, about his trademark head down pose after striking the ball. 'I've hit thousands of balls and I just want to go out there, enjoy it and have fun and just watch it and then if it's there, it happens. So, I don't try to do it, I'm just trying to be myself and have fun. Dewald Brevis 125(56)* vs Australia | 2nd T20I, 2025 - Darwin | Ball By Ball Highlights + Post Innings Interview — PCT Replays 2.0 (@ReplaysPCT) August 12, 2025 'I always knew I was happy if spin arrived, so I would have just watched it and maximise every single ball, but in a way I felt like I'm happy with the seam because the wicket was nice. 'I enjoyed it. I was just in the moment to be honest. I was happy with whatever bowler it was. If it was pace on seam or spin or anything.' Brevis formed a 126-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs (31 off 22 balls) that set up the Proteas' highest-ever T20I score against Australia, and was grateful to have his more experienced partner feed him the strike to maintain the momentum through his innings. 'Stubbo played very well, he's a boundary hitter as well. He could have easily have just striked as well, but he's been on this level quite longer and he's got experience, so I think he really identified that moment,' Brevis said. The Proteas' bowlers backed up Brevis' pyrotechnics show with another promising Proteas young talent Kwena Maphaka claiming 3/57 to follow up his 4/20 from the previous game, while Corbin Bosch bounced back with a career-best 3/20 to bowl out Australia for 165. The series decider will be in Cairns on Saturday.
The South African
7 hours ago
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs latest: Where will Asanele Velebayi fit in at Naturena?
Asanele Velebayi is officially a Kaizer Chiefs player following the PSL DRC ruling to declare him a free agent on Monday. Of course, Cape Town Spurs feel cheated on by the latest developments given that they once wanted R10 million for Velebayi. However, that's not how the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber (PSL DRC) saw the matter as they ruled in Velebayi's favour. Now, having been officially unveiled by Amakhosi on Tuesday, The South African takes a look at where the 22-year-old will fit in at Naturena. Velebayi is renowned for his speed and skill to eliminate opposition defenders, and this is the kind of player Chiefs needed. Given their quick transition play under Nasreddine Nabi, Chiefs need a speedy player to get into the opposition box as quickly as possible. Pule Mmodi has been that player for Chiefs over the past two seasons, but he's sometimes flat, and ended up not giving his team the much needed width. The majority of Chiefs wingers are not necessarily able to take on defenders, and often lose possession cheaply in the final third. And should Velebayi be given that role to play – either on the left or on the write wing – he shouldn't be expected to do much of a defending. After all, Velebayi was signed to strengthen Amakhosi's attack and help them score goals. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
