Saskatoon’s Jarret Kenke has always been comfortable in the water but it didn’t start in a kayak.
“I came from a background of swimming and competitive swimming. So that kind of straight line, go as fast as you can, was just in my blood,” national team kayaker Jarret Kenke said.
“I wanted to get outside and do a bit more outside activities. I started kayaking up at Waskesiu and then I found my love for it.”
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This past May, the 23-year-old made Team Canada for a sixth year at the national trials.
“I placed first overall in the 1,000-metre. Currently, I’m the top ranked 1,000-metre athlete in Canada,” Kenke said.
“I set a personal best for that early in the season for me. That showed me that ‘I’m already at this level and I can take it so much further.’”
Kenke will represent Canada in the under-23 and senior world championships later this summer. As Canada Day approaches, a sense of national pride will help fuel his kayak.
“It makes this year feel so good! Because it’s 150, I made both U-23 and senior worlds, so I’m super excited to be representing Canada and all that it represents,” Kenke said.
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Additionally, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be in the back of his mind.
“This is the first year I’ve really believed that I can make that step to 2020 and I’m pretty excited and motivated now for the next three years to really hammer out my training,” Kenke said.
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