Sport: Canoeing

Brief career description: I started off my canoeing career as a marathon canoeist, winning a bronze medal at the Junior World Champs in 2001, followed by a bronze medal at the Senior World Champs in 2004 and a gold and silver medal at the senior World Marathon Champs in 2006. I then turned to sprint canoeing and was ranked third in the world after the 2007 international season and competed for South Africa at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in 2008 but unfortunately never made it through to the final

Favourite sports moment: Every South African Olympic medal-winning performance, especially the 4×100m freestyle relay at the Athens Olympics

Biggest sporting disappointment: Not making the finals at the Beijing Olympics

Biggest sporting ambition: Winning a gold medal for South Africa at the Olympic Games

What do the Olympics mean to you? The Olympics is the greatest sporting spectacle in the world. It’s an absolute honour to be able to compete at the Olympics in and amongst all the world’s greatest athletes

Where do you live? Johannesburg, Edenvale

Do you have a day job? I am currently studying an MBL

Did you grow up with a role model? If so, who? My two role models growing up were Graham Pope-Ellis and Alan Van Coller

How many hours a day requires training? Four to five

What special diet is followed, if any? Lots of carbohydrates to give me enough energy to train so much

What is the best sports book or movie that you have read or watched? All of cyclist Lance Armstong’s books