The Cape Town-born and Michaelhouse old boy Jean van der Westhuyzen represented Team South Africa at the 2016 Rio Youth Olympics, won gold for Australian in the Canoe Sprint K2 1000 metres final in Tokyo. Olympics Tokyo2020 By Mark_Keohane IOLSport
We got another year of preparation, another year to sharpen our skills and to improve.”
Van der Westhuyzen has always been inspired by Olympic gold medallist Ken Wallace and Olympic gold medalist Murray Stewart, and the move to Australia meant he got to train alongside the celebrated two, with Stewart’s story very familiar to Van der Westhuyzen’s. “I have been following the Australian squad for a long time through social media,” said Van der Westhuyzen. “And now it is awesome to be training with Ken and Murray and to be a part of the squad. David Smith, who coaches me now, is also an Olympic gold medallist, so it has been huge to have them involved in my career.”
“I never thought I’d be as good as Murray, so the first time I beat him at training I was pretty shocked, but it gave me the belief that I could achieve the same as he did.”Van der Westhuyzen, who at 15-ears-old, was the youngest South African to get a World Championship medal, in winning the K2 21 km marathon for junior boys.
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