Dabs paddler is living the dream with an international gold medal

From being three years old and paddling from the back of his father’s canoe, to claiming a gold medal at the 2025 International President’s Cup Regatta, Kyle Armdorff is living a dream manufactured by his dedication.

Held in Azerbaijan, the competition saw this young Dabulamanzi Canoe Club paddler participate in the U14 200m K1 event, which he won in the time of 40.88 seconds.

Overflowing with emotion at his first international tour, all he knew to do was showcase the hard work his training had prepared him for. The competition ran over three days. On day one he raced the 200m, on day two, the 500m, and on day three was the team boat competition.

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“I trained twice a day with my dad,” an accomplished paddler himself, having competed all over the world, and founded the Soweto Canoe and Recreational Club. “He would take me to the dam at 04:00, before school, and then drop me off at school after training. Then, I’d Uber to the dam after school and train. Then, my mom picked me up at 17:30 on her way home from work. Those were long days for me,” said Kyle. To qualify for this international competition, the Sophiatown resident participated in the provincial and SA sprints championships, where he won in all his disciplines – 200m, 500m, and 1000m.

While on the water in Azerbaijan, he had to calm himself down, so he could stick to his race plan. “I had to stay composed, so to execute perfectly what I had intended on that day. My dads voice and words were playing over in my mind: ‘We win races from the front’,” said Kyle.

The plan was not only to learn from those around him, but to give it his best shot, which, inevitably, meant attaining a medal. When he reached this goal, he was overwhelmed by how his hard work had ultimately paid off.

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From the time he was that three-year-old, on the back of his father’s canoe, he’d fallen in love with the water, and quickly mastered the art of balancing within a canoe.

This sport has taught him discipline and dedication, all while opening grand doors for him. But, if you don’t find him on the water, you’ll probably find him running on the track, in the pool making laps, or on his mountain bike.

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It’s Kyle’s hope that, through him, others will be inspired to work hard at achieving their dreams. For his accomplishment, he thanked his parents, who he says sacrificed a lot for him, as well as his uncle, who supported him all the way.

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