Paracanoe is more than just a sport for Jonathan White. It is what he lives and breathes every day.
Back in 2010, White’s world turned upside down.
White was on his second tour of Afghanistan with the British Royal Marines when he stepped on a mine.
The explosion saw him lose three of his limbs with both legs amputated above the knee and the right arm above the elbow.
It was a long and difficult road to recovery for White, but it was his love of paddling that “lit up” his world again.
White got back in his boat in November 2011 as he trained for the Devizes to Westminster (DW) International Canoe Race in 2012.
Click here for live startlists and results from Gyor
But it was not until September 2018 where he began to put all his focus into competing in Paracanoe on the world stage.
“I had done the DW race in 2012 and then had a really difficult three or four years,” said White.
“I realised that I needed something physical to do again as I was always very competitive.
“I just went down to my local canoe club and started paddling again.
“I used to do everything on my own and then all of a sudden I got in the back of a K2.
“I realised that I can be competitive again when I didn’t have to worry about the steering.
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“It was brilliant, it just lit me up again.
“Over time, I have managed to sort out my K1 boat.
“I just train in a group now week in, week out and they don’t treat me any different.
“I still get pushed off the wash and have to fight for it.
“I just love it. It’s lit me up, I live for it.
“It’s what gets me out of bed every morning to go and train and know I’ve got these targets, these big races to come and give my all to.
“It's a great leveller.
“When I was down at my local canoe club, it used to be that people were very nice to me and were giving me a chance whereas now they can’t do that. Once I’m in a boat, I’m competing with them.”
As a triple amputee athlete, White is in a unique position as he tests himself against the best in the world.
He has become an engineer, designing his own prosthetics to not only assist him but create opportunities for others to get into the sport.
His big goal is to represent Great Britain at the Paralympic Games as he competes in the men’s KL2.
“I just love the process of training and seeing how good I can be,” said White.
“Through that, I have got a bee in my bonnet about trying to get into the Paralympic Games because I feel like it should be possible, so it is working out how do I make it happen.
“I am getting a little bit obsessed by that idea now.
“It’s possible but it’s a real long shot.
“Ultimately, there is only one spot and David Phillipson just won the World Championships and got silver at the last Games, so I don’t just need to get a qualifying time, I need to be the best in the world if I am going to do it.
“I look at it from an engineering perspective.
“It should be possible, and I have got to learn about how my body works and adapt my training to work out how to do it.”
This week sees White compete at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Gyor, Hungary where Paracanoe races are featuring as official medal events for the first time.
White competed in the open class exhibition races before ranking fifth in the men’s KL2 10k.
“I have been doing marathon now since the World Championships in Portugal which was 2022,” said White.
“The difference this year is that there is a lot more people turning up because they obviously see the importance of it.
“I like the tactical element of it.
“Stuff is changing all the time, and you have got to deal with it.
“Also, if something doesn’t quite go right in the first five minutes you have still got an hour to try to work and see if you can pull it back.
“The endurance side of it is something I have always enjoyed.”
Full coverage of the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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