Brad Morgan - As 2015 begins, with another Dusi Canoe Marathon on the horizon, four-time champion Andy Birkett is preparing to take his paddling game to a new level and is hard at work, trying to improve on a solid 2014.

To claim the Dusi title once again, he will have to battle the man he partnered to a very impressive victory in last year's race, Sbonelo Khwela, who, like Birkett, is also sponsored by EuroSteel.

"Wow, it is a much scarier task now that I know him so well, now that I know he is such a tough buggar, and I know he is so strong mentally," Birkett said.

Apart from his Dusi success in 2014, the Natal Canoe Club star's results included victories in the Berg River Canoe Marathon, Breede River Canoe Marathon and the Drak Challenge. He also finished third in Spain's iconic Sella Descent and pushed multiple world champion Hank McGregor all the way before being edged out for victory in the Fish Canoe Marathon.

Looking back on his highlights of the past year, Birkett said: "World Marathon wasn't too amazing for me, so I would probably say the Drak Challenge or Breede Canoe Marathon [were the highlights], both of which I won, and I had a close race with Hank [McGregor] both times, K2 and K1."

Having moved up from the under-23 age category last year, Birkett now has to face one of the all-time greats, McGregor, on a regular basis.

The young gun, though, possesses tremendous drive and ambition and some of that was revealed when he said of his rival: "He's a great guy to race against and he's been racing at that level for many years. I'm still trying to find my feet in this, but I have to try and catch up quickly to a guy like Hank, who can just paddle so well."

Thanks to the EuroSteel sponsorship, Birkett has been able to focus his energies on paddling as a full-time occupation. He said that had paid dividends in 2014. "I was consistent throughout the whole year, so I am sure that helped my general paddling ability and my base," he explained.

"I would like to think that my technique has improved a bit. I've still got a lot of work to do. There are small things, like technique and gym strength, that I think I have improved on, but there's still lots of work that I can put into my paddling."

Birkett also said being a member of Natal Canoe Club, which will host the 2017 Canoe Marathon World Championships and numerous big provincial, national, continental and international events in the lead-up to the big event, has pushed him to become a better paddler.

"I think our NCC High Performance Programme has really helped," he said. "I think it has helped me tremendously, with not only training, but also rehab and massages and the like, and that has enabled me to go out and paddle for 11 months of the year and to raise my paddling standard to a new level."

Looking ahead, Birkett identified a number of goals he would like to achieve in 2015. "Locally, I wouldn't mind [to win] a few big races to my name in 2015, similar to 2014.

"Internationally, I wouldn't mind trying to get onto the podium at the World Marathon Championships, whether it be K1 or K2. I would like to try and push that quite hard this year."

Website: www.dusi.co.za

Photographer: Anthony Grote, Gameplan Media