Five Bondies will chase world title glory next week at the ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Portugal.
Kayakers Claudia and Alyssa Bailey, Jasmine Rayward, and Pierre van der Westhuyzen are no strangers to the world stage competing at the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Poland earlier this year, where Claudia Bailey took home her first senior medal, a bronze in the K4500m.
2024 ADCO Scholarship recipient Claudia Bailey and Van der Westhuyzen have also been selected in the Australian senior team for the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Milan.
They will be joined by 2024 Paralympic silver medallist and Bondy Dylan Littlehales, who made his international debut at the same event 10 years ago.
After taking home silver at the Paris Olympics in the K4 500m Pierre has turned his attention to the K1 and K2 events for both championships, and will team up with Tokyo Olympic gold medallist and training partner Tom Green in Milan.
“Training has presented some new challenges this year moving from a K4 focus to some K2 work,” Van der Westhuyzen said.
“The time with Tom in training has been of massive importance because getting a feel for how to work with one another is crucial to achieving optimal results.”
Van der Westhuyzen has been working hard in preparation for the championships, but the ultimate target is Los Angeles 2028.
“The pinnacle of our sport has always been the Olympics and remains our focus even four years out, so this year the goal is to set myself up to build into the rest of the cycle,” he said.
Paddle Australia National Performance Pathways lead Ken Wallace OAM will accompany the team at both championships, and believes the switch to the smaller boats has provided a nice change for Van der Westhuyzen.
“The last couple of years have been full on with the direct target of the K4,” Wallace said.
“This year provides a good opportunity for Pierre to get into the smaller boats to continue to grow his skill set and confidence before returning to the K4 at the end of the year.”
Wallace acknowledged Van der Westhuyzen’s commitment in balancing international competition with a Bachelor of Actuarial Science at Bond.
“For any athlete that’s pursuing a career off water, it’s a tough slog…you need very good time management,” he said.
“Paddle Australia is a signatory for the Australian Sports Commission’s ‘Win Well’ initiative, which recognises that sport isn’t the be all and end all.
“We have a holistic approach and make sure we are supporting the athlete across the board, on and off water.”
2025 ADCO Scholarship recipient and multi-sport athlete, Jasmine Rayward will take a break from the kayak upon returning, to prepare for round one of her third Shaw and Partners Ironwoman Series which kicks off in October.