Jen Hodson: Hungarian Success

Canoeing specialist Jen Hodson has written to gsport … for Girls! following her remarkable achievements in the recent Flatwater Canoe/Kayak World Championships in Hungary.

Thanks, Jen, for sending us this remarkable account of your participation in sport. Your enthusiasm is infectious!

Girls, don’t forget to send us your story too! Mail [email protected]  with your own account!

Hi to you at gsport, what a brilliant idea, thanks for the support to us women!

I have just returned from competing at the Flatwater Canoe/Kayak World Championships (sprint canoeing to us South Africans!) that was held in Szeged, Hungary from the 17-20 August.

Being my first ever World Championships I went with the idea to measure myself against the best in the world.

I came away from the Championships with results that I hadn’t dared dream of achieving.

I am now ranked as the 7th fastest woman over the Olympic distance of 500m in the world!  

Together with my team mate Shaun Rubenstein, we qualified for A finals in our races, becoming the first South Africans to ever achieve this at a World Championship event.

If we can repeat or improve on our performances next year at the Olympic Qualifying event, we will guarantee our places to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Racing in Hungry was a surreal experience, as the country’s public interest in the sport is huge. We raced in front of more than 10 000 spectators daily.

The race officials had to ask the crowd to be quiet before the start of each race, so that the paddlers could hear the starters orders!

I raced the race of my life to place in the top 3 of my semi-final which gave me one of the 9 places available in the A final.

My result was one of the main upsets of the Championship, as I beat the German World Champion from 2005, sending her out of the final.

I can honestly say it was the most satisfying day of my life! I have never been happier!

My results exceeded all expectations, but reflected a year of training at the highest level.

The support of my coach, Nandor Almasi, as well as my training group, was vital to the success of our team.

It has provided us with confidence and an even greater wish to excel in our sport.

As a female canoeist in South Africa, I find this once male-dominated sport becoming more and more open and accessible to female athletes.

We are gaining ever increasing support from our male counterparts who recognise our dedication to our dreams.

Any women interested in becoming involved in the sport of sprint canoeing can contact one of many canoe clubs around the country.

Our federation’s web site, www.canoesa.org.za has all the necessary information.

Training for our group is based in Benoni at Homestead Dam, and we would welcome any women interested in learning how to paddle.

Jen Hodson