
The Victoria Lake Canoe Club hosted the South African Canoeing Sprint Championship at Germiston Lake between March 23 and 25. Among all the passionate sprinters was 16-year-old Michael Goredema from Mindalore.
Michael is also a proud member of the Florida Lake Canoe Club (FLCC) and a learner at Hoërskool Roodepoort.
He competed in a variety of races including the K1 (single kayak) race where he progressed to the semi-finals and placed seventh in the 500m for boys U16. In addition, he finished 21st in the 5000m U18 junior category.

Michael is also a team player having competed with Chane Steyn (U14 junior) in the mixed-double K2 kayak finishing seventh.
“He gained experience racing against the elite in SA despite having only been paddling for under two years. The Sprint Championship gave our local paddlers a wonderful opportunity to see the best in action and some cases race against the top paddlers in the country in their age group,” said Gauteng Canoe Union spokesperson Jennie Dallas.
As the sprint season comes to an end, the marathon season kicks off in April, with a marathon race hosted by FLCC on May 25.