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At the 2025 Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships in Penrith this weekend, some of the best young Australian paddlers will be competing alongside some of the world’s best talent.
Competing in the U23’s division is rising Australian star Georgie O’Callaghan, who has been paddling for eight years, and the 21-year-old’s passion for the sport’s dynamic nature continues to grow.
“I first started paddling when my older brother started teaching me the basics,” O’Callaghan said.
“From there, I joined the Melbourne Canoe Club’s Quick Start Program and participated in Ivanhoe Grammar kayaking camps.
“I’ve now been paddling for around eight years and competing for five years.
“I love the dynamic nature of the sport—no day on the water is ever the same, requiring a combination of mental focus and technical ability to keep me on my toes.
“While it’s an individual sport, it has a strong sense of community both domestically and internationally.”
Having competed in the Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships since 2020, O’Callaghan considers this event one of the most important domestic season events as it doubles as a selection event for the Australian team.
“I’ve competed at the Slalom Oceania Championships multiple times starting from 2020,” she said.
“My most memorable moment from the Slalom Oceania Championships was in the 2024 season.
“During that event, I put down a strong and clean run that secured my spot for World Cups 3, 4, and 5 later in the year.
“For this year, I’m looking forward to these Oceania Championships as it’s the first international race of the 2025 season.
“The introduction of one-run heats will make for some interesting racing, as there is less room for error.
“It’s also great to see a strong international presence at a race held in Australia, creating a high-quality field and a chance to compete against world class paddlers on home soil.”
With Australia playing host to the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships later in the year, O’Callaghan’s goal for this weekend is to showcase a clean race and deliver strong runs.
“My main goal this year is to secure a strong performance at the U23 World Championships, but I always have my sights set on bigger goals like the senior World Championships,” O’Callaghan said.
“Australia has an incredibly strong top three female paddlers, which makes breaking into that level very competitive.
“For now, I’m focusing on racing to my full potential and seeing what opportunities arise from that.
“But ultimately, my main goal this weekend is to have a clean race and deliver strong runs.
“I’m aiming to lay down times that will secure my place on the U23 team for this year, which will be held in Foix, France.”
Another athlete competing in the junior division is 17-year-old James Stamp, who also has his eyes on competing in France this year.
“This year I’m most looking forward to having a fair bit of international competition in the lead up to Penrith hosting the 2025 World Championships,” Stamp said.
“My goal this year is the 2025 Junior U23 world championships in France, so fingers crossed that this weekend goes well.
“This year will be my fourth time competing at the Oceania Championships, and my last year in the junior category.
“A highlight for me from this event was taking home the title last year in the Junior K1 Men’s, although spectating the finals across all classes is always exciting.”
Paddle Australia wishes Georgie, James and all athletes competing this weekend good luck ahead of the Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships.