Randburg paddlers kick start canoe season

Randburg paddlers participated in the Dambusters season opener, the first canoeing race of the 2025 season, hosted by Dabulamanzi Canoe Club, based at Emmarentia Dam.

Read more; Randburg paddlers shine at the Dabs prep race

There were a number of various options for entries – to accommodate starter paddlers, as well as the fit and strong who are training towards upcoming races. These included the red race: an 8km paddle, 3km run with boat, and 7km paddle, the pink race: where paddlers can do the same distance but run without carrying their boat, and the yellow race: which was just an 8km paddle.

Blairgowrie based Daniel van Eeden took part in the event. He has had successful years in the sport, including participating at the 2024 September Olympics Hope sprint event in Hungary. He was back in action, kicking off training for the 2025 year. He finished 7th in 01:50:00, racing against some of the top achieving adults at the club.

Also read: Blairgowrie canoeist reaches semis at World Champs

The 8km Dambusters race was also the first official K1 (singles) canoe event for Daniel’s mother Cathleen. She explained that even though she entered for fun, she still had butterflies in her stomach as they lined up at the start.

“I am still getting the hang of keeping my balance while there is a lot of chops from other paddles, so I had a slow start, but to my surprise I managed to not go for a swim. The best part was being involved in an event that included a really wide range of ages and levels of experience. It was perfect for a newcomer like me to experience racing with little pressure. It was also great to be able to watch my son, Daniel, competing in the full race.”

She added that she has so much respect for this sport, after seeing how much time and dedication is required to progress.

A couple of promising juniors participated in the 4km green guppy race, specially for U12s. Aayan Judy finished in a time of 00:30:27, while his sister, Aara, finished as first female in 00:30:39.

Follow us on our Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok pages. Join our WhatsApp group for any story ideas you may have.

Related article: Blairgowrie canoeist earns half colours after representing Gauteng