Two athletes from opposite ends of the African continent took their first tentative steps on the international canoe sprint stage on Wednesday, beginning a journey they both hope will take them to the Olympic Games.

17-year-old Mohamed Gouda became Egypt’s first ever canoe paddler at a world championships, while South Africa’s Helen Jansen van Vuuren got a chance to compete in a sport she only took up to build her strength for another sport.

Egypt is one of the success stories of the African continent. From less than a handful of paddlers just years ago, in Szeged there are 10 athletes, including a women’s junior K4, and there first canoe paddler.

“I feel very happy because this is my first championships, and the first time for Egypt in canoe at a world championships,” Gouda said.

“When I was young I saw some people canoeing on the Nile, and I thought it looked fun. I train now on the Nile, which is hard because we don’t have any flat water.

“Many people do canoe, but not many at this level. I would do anything to get to the Olympics.”

Gouda hopes next time he comes to an international event he will also get to do the C2. There are other athletes at his Egyptian club who paddle the canoe, but he needs to convince them to step up to the next level.

 A couple of years ago Helen Jansen van Vuuren decided to take up kayaking so she could get stronger for what was, at the time, her sporting passion – sailing.

As is often the way, one taste of canoeing and you become addicted. Now she trains for both in Johannesburg.

“I was a sailor for South Africa, and I used canoeing to strengthen my core, but I ended up falling in love with canoeing so I do it as a sport now,” van Vuuren said.

“I’m still a sailor so I do both of them internationally, it just takes a lot more time. But this year I’ve done a lot more canoeing than sailing.

“The facilities in Johannesburg are really good, it’s just a great place to train. I’m really hoping to go to the Olympics, Paris or Los Angeles or even both.”

Van Vuuren got the opportunity to improve her skills at this week’s ICF Talent Identification Program (TIP) camp in Szeged. TIP is designed to give athletes from countries where paddlesports are still growing, the opportunity to learn from top level coaches using world-class facilities.

40 athletes and coaches from 17 countries, including Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates took part in this week’s TIP camp.

Pics by Bence Vekassy