U23 Worlds Experience - Written by Julia Demchuk

August 26, 2024

This past July I had the incredible opportunity to race in Plovdiv, Bulgaria for the ICF U23 World Championships for Team Canada! I got the chance to compete in

the K1 200m and 500m, as well as the K4 500m.

Getting to line up against some of the world’s best paddlers in singles and team boats was an amazing learning experience that’s had both ups and downs. As well, gaining experience and knowledge from many different coaches and other Canadian athletes is something that I can take with me in my paddling journey. Through this experience I got to make new friends with paddlers across Canada, as well as have my teammate Justin Boyko along with me as he was competing in Junior Worlds!

While we were in Bulgaria we also had the chance to explore the city and see the old town of Plovdiv, which is one of the oldest cities in Europe! Overall it was an amazing experience to compete in my first international competition representing Team Canada, and I hope to be able to do so again in the future!