Before starting Tauranga Boys’ College, James Thwaite had played several sports including football, swimming and touch.
In Year 8 Thwaite was introduced to a new sport at a college open day.
“I was given some information on Kayaking.” Thwaite says, “I hadn’t really heard about it before, but I liked the look of it and became hooked very quickly.”
Tauranga Boys’ College has a fine tradition in the sport. At the 2014, NZ Secondary Schools White Water Kayaking Championships, Tauranga won the teams’ title for the 15th time in 18 years.
Patrick Washer won the C1 (canoe) U-18 event, with Thwaite finishing second. Thwaite was the U-16 national title holder from the previous year.
Thwaite trains 12 to 15 hours a week and that includes gym and road work. He is a member of the New Zealand U-18 squad and more impressively is a scholarship student in four subjects: economics, statistics, chemistry and physics.
Thwaite says that “balance,” is really important and success breeds success.
“Tauranga has been a strong paddling area for some time now and that is a source of inspiration. I think we have good structures and coaching up here and that helps with sport and study.”
Thwaite is a well travelled young man. In 2014 he travelled to Australia competing at the Junior World Championships in Penrith where the Sydney Olympics in 2000 were staged. Thwaite finished 13th, a result that he was pleased with.
“It was a tough field with a number of countries competing. It was my first major international competition and I showed I could compete which was pleasing.”
Kayaking is a small sport in New Zealand, but Michael Dawson and Luuka Jones both attended the Olympics in 2012.
Thwaite says his hero is French paddler Tony Estanguet. Now retired, Estanguet won three Olympic gold medals in the C-1 event, in 2000, 2004 and 2012.
In 2015, Thwaite plans to travel to Brazil to compete again at the Junior World Championships. Additionally the Oceania U-18 champion will compete at the Senior World Championships in London.