The Hilton College Kayak Club is dedicating its Dusi Season to empowering others thanks to its Paddle for Lives initiative, which hopes to raise funds to secure boats for other lovers of their sport in need of a little support.
Hilton, South Africa (23 February 2025) — Schools across the country have filled our team with pride this week! From eco-superstars to little learners who took the time to share love with the elderly and water warriors giving back—South African schools are hard to beat when it comes to acts of community big and small. In yet another good news story schools-edition, the Hilton College Kayak Club are doing something fantastic for the Change A Life Academy as they take on the Dusi Canoe Marathon!
In an effort to raise funds for others in their sport who are in need of support, the team has initiated the Paddle for Lives Campaign!
As part of the campaign, team members are rallying to fund five junior boats and paddles for the Martin Dreyer Change A Life Academy. This is in a bid to support Academy members’ participation in the Fish River Canoe Marathon, which also hosts the South African K2 River Championships.
About The Change A Life Academy
The Change A Life Academy was started by Martin Dreyer in 2008—a name that will certainly ring a bell with sports fans! A seven-times Dusi champion (the Dusi is the biggest canoeing event in Africa), Martin’s dream for the Academy has been to give underprivileged youth the hand-up in becoming leaders in the sport who can compete, thrive and use their skills as leverage for future opportunities.
With training, weekly food parcels and mentorship, the Change A Life Academy has been enormously successful in not only producing top performers but also in providing skills that end up securing alumni employment as coaches down the line.
The Paddle for Lives Initiative, then, hopes to play a part in adding more hope to the mix and is encouraging fellow canoeists, fans, family members and friends to contribute to the cause and secure those boats!
The Participating Dusi Teams:
From father-and-son duos to individual hotshots, the teams are:
- Rex and Mark Holdsworth
- Matt and Adam Fitzsimons
- William and Grahame Thompson
- Knox and Scott Rutherfoord
- Jamie Byres who will compete with a partner
- Jack Heenan who will compete with a partner
- Matthew Wilson (K1)
- Jordan Byres (K1)
The campaign will run until 31 August, and you can support the effort here.
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