Stella Crossan and brothers Dylan and Lewis Monk will compete in the U18 division, while siblings Thomas and Natasha MacGibbon are racing in the U23 events.
They all race for Arawa Canoe Club, along with Madison Garrett who was also selected in the New Zealand team.
“It’s definitely a big step up from any other competitions, so it’s a pretty amazing experience to just get out there and race against the best junior paddlers,” Crossan said.
“I’m beyond excited to give it a crack.”
The Christchurch Girls’ High School student, 17, will race in the women’s K2 500m and K4 500m. Crossan made her world championship debut last year as a development athlete and now has her sights set higher – aiming to make the final in the K4 500m.
“That is our dream goal – that would definitely be something that we are shooting for,” she said.
The road to get there is nothing short of rigorous, the athletes are currently training six days a week and canoeing an average of 110km weekly.
“I just love the feeling when everything comes together, when all the hard work pays off, it makes everything worth it,” Crossan said.
Said Thomas MacGibbon: “Training’s pretty hard at the moment. It’s definitely making us battle a bit of pain.”
MacGibbon, 22, will compete in the K1 200m and 500m – where he is aiming for a podium finish – as well as the K2 500m.
His top achievement so far was placing 10th in the K1 200m at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Uzbekistan last August.
Natasha MacGibbon, 19, is competing in the K1 1000m and K1 500m.
The two share a competitive but supportive training relationship.
“If one of us feeling down, we drag the other one along to training, so it’s pretty good to have someone to make you always show up,” Thomas said.
Crossan heads into the world champs with plenty of confidence off the back of a three gold medal haul at the Asia Pacific Cup in May, winning the K2, K4 and U18 mixed relay.
“It was a great feeling to do it as a team and do it for each other.
“Winning in a team just makes it that much better,” she said.
“It is still pretty unreal because we never would have imagined this when we started,” he said.
“We both push ourselves and train hard against each other. Competing with my brother is fun and there’s always a bit of banter – it will be good to be racing.”
The Monk brothers are racing together in the K4 mixed 500m, while Lewis will also compete in the K2 500m.
Crossan, Natasha MacGibbon and the Monk brothers all started canoe racing as off-season winter filler training for surf lifesaving.
“I just fell in love with kayaking and fell in love with competing. It just kind of stuck,” Crossan said.
“I love being able to push myself hard on the river, I love working with my team and the opportunity to travel and compete against the world’s best paddlers.”
Her ultimate goal is to be an Olympian – eyeing up the 2032 games in Brisbane.
“I’ll be gunning for that one.”
