12 hours ago
Amanzimtoti lad to compete overseas
COUNTLESS hours of practise and fierce discipline have paid off for Amanzimtoti canoeist Jimmy Papadopoulos, 18, after he was selected to represent South Africa at the the Auronzo International Sprint Regatta in Italy this month, and at the International Canoe Federation Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Portugal from July 23 to 27.
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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.
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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.
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