As competitors from 16 nations arrive in Australia for the 2025 Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships, two-time Paris Olympic bronze medalist Kimberley Woods and silver medalist Adam Burgess from Great Britain are excited to be back in Australia.

Having competed in Penrith previously, Woods is looking forward to competing against more nations, and strengthening her knowledge of the course ahead of the World Championships later this year.

“Competing at the Oceania’s for us is right in the middle of our winter block of training,” Woods said.

“Because I love to race, it helps set me up for some learning, trying new things before our team selections in March.

“My favourite memory was last year’s Oceania Championships, as it was the first for me since Covid and we were able to compete with the thrill of Olympic selections still on the line for some nations.

“I love the competitive feel you get around any competition.

“Ahead of this year’s Oceania, I am most looking forward to more nations competing while also racing on and learning the World Championships course more.

“Being able to compete at a World Championship venue is important as you can practise those race feelings ahead of the competition day.

“This is something that was helpful for the Paris Olympics, and I will certainly try and channel the practice I had for that for major championships like the World’s and the Oceania’s gives a great opportunity for that.”

Paddling since 2004, and involved with the Great Britain teams since 2011, Woods’ love for the sport comes from the incredible experiences and people she has met along the way.

“What I love most is the people you meet and the experiences you gain from the sport,” she said.

“We get to travel and compete and I am lucky to be able to still be doing this and hope to continue doing this for as long as I can.

“The way the community comes together to celebrate the good and the tough times is something I can resonate with and I have some friends for life through paddling.”

Ahead of this weekend’s Oceania Championships, Woods’ goals are to put on her best performance, without as much pressure as she works through her winter training season.

“As I am in full winter training I will look to perform my best but I have no pressure on myself to win,” she said.

“But I would love to be in all the finals and also get myself back into that performing racing mindset and see what happens.

“I love to race and enjoy it, while being present in the moment, and I will look for that across the weekend.

“I can be certain there will be a lot of learning happening across the whole weekend.”

Also representing Great Britain this weekend is Adam Burgess, Paris 2024 silver medalist in the men’s canoe.

Involved with the sport for 22 years, it is the unsolvable puzzle of canoe slalom that keeps bringing Burgess back time after time.  

“The thing for me that I love about the sport is the power of the water,” Burgess said.

“And when we put the boat in the right place and paddle is locked in, and you’ve got that force behind you and you’re in control of it – there is no better feeling for a canoe slalom athlete.

“And every now and again the water is not on your side, and it does remind us who is boss, and it keeps us humble, but it also keeps us coming back to try and master it.

“Canoe slalom is a never ending puzzle and I’m just fascinated by the process of racing, competing and delivering that special run when it counts.

“No one will ever 100% master that and I think that is what keeps bringing us back because it’s such a fascinating process.”

Travelling to Australia to compete in has been a part of Burgess’ competition calendar since 2011, making him very familiar with the course.

“I have competed in the Oceania Championships and other events here in Australia since 2011, so I know the venue very well,” he said.

“I’ve got great relations with the Aussie team, and they’ve always made me feel really welcome here all the time, and it feels like a second home.

“I always love to race here and I’m pretty excited about racing in the senior World Champs here later in the year.

“At this year’s Oceania Champs, I am most looking forward to doing a full slalom run at pace.

“I haven’t done a full run for quite a few months, and I’ve held off doing full runs so far in my training.

“I’m very much in a training block right now and I am excited to see where I’m at at this stage.

“This is always sort of the first opportunity to see how the training has gone so far and if there’s anything we want to tweak.

“I will be competing at this year’s world championships, and it’s great to know I am already going so I can plan my year to peak at that point in October.”

“Anytime we sit on the start line, the goal is to win, and I’ve won a lot of medals here but I’ve never actually won a race here, so that is definitely the aim this weekend.”

For more information on the 2025 Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships – click here

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