Two local rowers are back from the Asia Pacific Championships in New Zealand with an impressive haul of medals in their hands.
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Ulladulla High School students Eden Sakora and Christian Ireland, as members of the Australian Sprint Kayak team, showed huge potential at this elite event.
Christian won two gold, two silver and three bronze medals over the four days of racing, while Eden raced incredibly strongly, earning five gold and one silver medal.
They competed in the Asia Pacific Cup against paddlers from Singapore, Japan and New Zealand
Both were rightfully pleased with their efforts.
Eden, leading up to the event, did not know what to expect.
"This is my first year paddling," she said as to why she did not expect to come back with such a swag of medals
"I just did not expect to do so well."
Her efforts, for someone so new to the sport, were impressive.
She put her performance down to all the training she did beforehand and also to the support she got from the rest of the girls on her team.
In the four-member team Eden and the number three paddler but in the 200 metre race they put her up to the number one spot.
Eden trains three days a week.
The 14-year-old Year Nine student said she loves the sport and is looking forward to taking part in other competitions.
Christian was also unsure what to expect at the Asia Pacific Championships.
He said it was always hard to gauge how well you were going to perform - until you hit the water.
Christian enjoyed everything about the experience.
"It was fun to be around the rest of the team and our team spirit was good," he said.
With a year-and-a-half of racing, Christian has a little more experience racing than Eden.
The 14-year-old Year Nine student said the championship gave him good experience.
He aims to work at getting better and wants to compete in more major events.
Christian said there were "some big names" around the squad, including the likes of Olympian Ken Wallace.
"It was good to get noticed and show them that I could paddle - it gives you the incentive to keep going," Christian said.
Christian also liked the cultural aspect of the event.
"The regatta opened with our New Zealand counterparts performing a traditional Haka and Maori welcoming ceremony. Afterwards, Maori elders explained the significance of Lake Karapiro where we were paddling," he said.
He has a few six-kilometre events upcoming up and then the sprint series later in the year.
Christian likes both the sprint and distance events and hopes to compete at a State and National level again.
