This year marks a new chapter in the life of rising Team SA canoeist Saskia Hockly. She has celebrated her 21st birthday and is looking to balance her sporting dreams, an honour’s degree, and the inevitable challenges adult life brings, writes MARK LEMKE.
The young star has completed her campaign at The World Games in Chengdu, China, with a ninth-place finish in the K1 long distance final and 17th in the short distance. She is now beginning her pursuit of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Hockly grew up in constant proximity to the Indian Ocean-warmed Durban waters of the KZN coast. Starting off as a lifesaver at age nine and moving to ocean paddling at 15, being in and around water became second nature.
“My parents are crazy about the sea and that influenced me to give it a go. I immediately fell in love with lifesaving because I met incredible people, made lifetime friends, and keeping others safe is very important to me. I decided to take up paddling because I knew it was very demanding, but I love to be challenged.”
The ocean paddling led her to canoeing where her talent took her to new heights. She began travelling the globe in competition, winning six medals, including one gold, across the junior and senior ICF World Championships.
The World Games proved to be a difficult competition with 29-degree waters to overcome. “The weather here is like KZN with warm humid air, but the water is very warm which makes it difficult to keep yourself cool.”
That difficulty was clear in the long distance final. Hockly started strong as a member of the leading pack, however after the halfway mark her pace slowed. Despite the drop, her top 10 finish compared to 17th in the short distance final shows her strength in the lengthened formats.
Hockly has always dreamed of being an Olympian and narrowly missed out on Paris last year by one second. That agonisingly close shortcoming has not dampened the South African’s spirits as she is confident that she will be ready for LA in 2028.
“The decision to try to make it to Paris last year was at the last minute so being that close to qualification showed me that I have what it takes. The World Games is great experience to build towards my goal and from here I will be pushing my short distance game to reach the highest level it can be.”
The former junior World Champion will be balancing her sporting career with an honour’s degree at either Stellenbosch, Tuks, or UCT after completing a bachelor in strategic management and finance. “As I have gotten older, I have realised that life is not always sunshine and rainbows. I love my three sports but I know that I need to focus on canoeing if I want to go to the Olympics and study further. It has been tricky to find a balance, but it is getting better and I am excited for the future.”
Her feelings about the future are valid. She is already the number two ranked canoeist in South Africa and is far from reaching the prime of her career. Hockly finds herself in the driving seat with unwavering support from her friends and family. “They are a source of motivation for me. I am also inspired by the achievements of athletes that come from less fortunate backgrounds. They show that no dream is out of reach and that fuels me to keep pushing.”
Hockly will be returning home this week, where she will ramp up her short distance training, prepare for her studies, and enjoy the company of her close friends and loved ones. Before the next Olympics, there is the sprint world championship later this month, and annual marathon world championships. There is plenty to look forward to for Hockly and her exciting future is one to watch.
