I was thrilled about this race. Racing 24 kilometres isn’t something we typically do, so there wasn’t much pressure, and I was excited to have some fun. The course involved six 4-kilometer loops, and on each loop, we had to exit the boat, run 100 meters on the sand, and then re-enter the boat (a process known as a portage).

The race’s start was crucial. With over 30 participants, it was essential to get off the line quickly, take the lead, and then settle into a comfortable pace. I executed this strategy perfectly. After a strong sprint, I found a good section of wash where I could almost ride a wave, allowing me to exert less effort while maintaining the same speed. This energy-saving technique would be crucial over the course of the race.

Approaching the first turn, I noticed the group was quite large, so I sprinted again to secure a spot at the front and navigate the turn safely (as there were collisions behind me). Shortly after, we came to the first portage. I had practised this a lot, knowing its importance. At this point, we were in a group of about ten paddlers, but after the portage, only five of us remained, meaning my strategy worked to drop other athletes.

For the next laps, my strategy was to enter corners cleanly, draft to conserve energy, and then accelerate through the portages to distance myself from others. This tactic worked well, forcing my competitors to expend significant energy catching up with me after each portage. Over six laps, this compounded.

As we approached the final lap with only 2 kilometres left, I glanced back and realized it was a battle between one other senior athlete and me for the win. It was a challenging last stretch, and although I couldn’t gain enough speed to overtake him and secure first place, I’m still pleased with my second-place finish overall and first place in the U18 category.