Andy Birkett teamed up with Sbonelo Zondi to claim his fourth Dusi Canoe Marathon title in February. Now he is turning his attention to flat-water marathon racing, a discipline in which he was crowned under-23 world champion in 2013.

Last year was the first time that Birkett had turned his focus to the flat-water marathon and he was well rewarded when he edged out fellow South African Brandon van der Walt in Copenhagen to give South Africa a 1-2 in the under-23 race.

Reflecting on what flat-water marathon racing has done for him over the past year, Birkett said: "I think it has helped me to become an all-round paddler. I really enjoyed it last year and I see that there are a whole lot more people at [Natal Canoe Club at] Camps Drift, who are keen to train for marathons this year, which is awesome.

"It's a nice goal to have during the year and not just have our traditional South African river racing season. It's nice to build up to it. It's an awesome style of racing and it makes your paddling really strong for the river season. Last year was a big learning curve for my paddling."

Birkett's paddling improvement was on show in the Dusi when he and partner Sbonelo Zondi increased their lead over three-time marathon world champion Hank McGregor and his partner Jasper Mocke on the tough Inanda Dam paddle, which ends day two of the Dusi.

"I was surprised about that and chuffed to hear it, it was a little, mini-victory," Birkett smiled.

"It is important to build your paddling for Dusi, to make your paddling a bit stronger. I don't know if our paddling was stronger than theirs at Dusi, maybe we weren't as tired as them when we got to the dam. My paddling has improved. I think it is definitely stronger now than it was two years ago."
 
Since a disappointing fourth place in the 2013 Dusi Canoe Marathon, when he was the three-time defending champion, Birkett has enjoyed a remarkable run of success. "It went as close to what I planned as I could have hoped," he said of the past year.

"I sat down after [the 2013] Dusi and made myself some goals. I think there were four goals, if I remember correctly, but the last one was to win at Dusi and before that was get a medal at the World Marathon Championships.

"Two that we (Birkett and Cam Schoeman) didn't get were a podium at the Sella Descent (he and Schoeman finished fifth) and we wanted to do well at Fish (illness forced them out of competing for top honours).

"I still had a great year, and I think you've got to aim high to try and test yourself and push yourself."

A big and welcome change for the Natal Canoe Club star has been a sponsorship deal he signed with Eurosteel, through until after the 2016 Dusi Canoe Marathon.

Explaining the difference it has made to his paddling career, Birkett said: "Last year, I ended up with no sponsor. I wasn't in a rush to find a sponsor because I didn't want to find the wrong sponsor, who was going to put pressure on me. Then you end up paddling for the sponsor, not for yourself.

"I enjoyed my paddling a lot last year, but I knew that I couldn't just carry on doing it because financially it's not feasible without a good sponsor. Eurosteel came along and Colin Wilson has given us (Birkett and Sbonelo Zondi; Lance Kime and Kwanda Mhlope are also Eurosteel-sponsored) a great opportunity to race for ourselves and he has given us an amazing package, so we can race as much as we want and be supported without any pressure.

"He knows that we're going to put pressure on ourselves. We're not guys that are just going to sit back and be lazy, but it has given us an amazing opportunity to race throughout the whole year without financial pressure."

Clearly happy with where he is in his paddling career at present, and very happy with the backing he has received, Birkett continued: "They're really great guys and they have offered us some amazing support that I have never had before. There really is no pressure, which is awesome, so I would love for it to carry on for a long time into my paddling career.

"It's really great what Colin is doing. He's looked at paddlers that he wants to help and he wants to help canoeing as a sport, and it's his passion. He wants some of the top paddlers to have great support, to lift the whole sport."

With a meaningful sponsorship behind him, the sky is the limit for the talented Pietermaritzburg local.

Birkett is currently building up to the South African Marathon Championships, which take place in June, before national trials. He is also considering a two-week training camp overseas with some sprinters before August's Sella Descent in Spain.

When he and former K2 marathon world champion Cam Schoeman team up for Sella, it will be with the aim of crossing another goal off of the "to do list".