IT WAS a dream come true competing at the Paris Olympics for eManzimtoti kayaker Tiffany Koch even though she had appeared at the London 2012 games.
While on the surface it’s only a matter of crossing the English Channel to get from London into France, Koch said she had to overcome an ocean of difficulties and disappointments to eventually land a shot at the K1 and K2 canoe sprint events in Paris 2024.
She reached the quarter-final stages of both the 500 metre K1 and K2 dashes in Paris, teaming up with her long-time friend Esti Olivier in the K2 sprint.
All things considered, Koch was satisfied with her overall performance.
The dramatic qualifying race for Paris came down to the last strokes of her 2-blade kayak paddle, yet another sheer test of endurance and character.
While other SA athletes selected for Paris received sponsorships and grants, not a trickle of funding went her way.
The backing Koch hoped for would have assisted her preparation in a sport where subtle fine-tuning in technique, timing and conditioning become apparent in regattas.
Instead, the 37-year-old mother of two, who works for a telecommunications company, travelled with her laptop to Paris so that she could keep up with her work responsibilities, in between representing her country.
“Paris was a great experience, it can never be taken away. Participating in the Olympics is the pinnacle of any athlete’s career. It gives me warm feelings thinking about it,” she said.
Koch was convinced that a full-time coach and other specialists in her corner, like the overseas athletes, and her Paris performance would have been powered up.
“It makes a huge difference. Canoeing is a very technical sport. Even the size and type of paddles you use matter.”
She still worked with the boat she used in London in 2012, which was outdated.
“I was not able to afford a new boat which cost more than R50 000. So I borrowed one from Esti to prepare for Paris.”
She said various approaches were made to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) for funding, via the canoeing federation, but was told none was available.
“It was very painful. You would think that if you were going to the Olympics you would get support.”
Koch said there was more hype and assistance for London, but agreed her London performances were not great.
“I was young and unprepared... That’s why I wanted to go so badly to the 2016 Rio Games.”
She and Olivier missed out on qualification by one hundredth of a second.
“We participated in the World Champs to qualify for the Rio Games and missed out by one position. The pair that finished ahead of us were one hundredth of a second quicker.”
The other route to qualify for Rio was via the All-African Championships event, but Sascoc didn’t approve their participation.
“Sascoc’s decision was very disappointing”.
To qualify for Rio, Koch, who had no funding, relocated to Pretoria and lived with Olivier and her family for four years.
Olivier’s family ran an academy for canoe development and offered to look after her if she relocated and trained with Olivier.
“Esti and I were not great friends at the time, it was a big decision.
“I was a qualified teacher working at Amanzimtoti High at the time. It was my first year of teaching and I had travelled to a few international events that year.”
Because of time away from the classroom, Koch was retrenched at the end of that year, which then nudged her towards Pretoria.
Koch said she gave it her best in preparing to qualify for Rio .
“It was a very emotionally and physically challenging time.
“Esti parents were also gutted when we didn’t qualify.”
Koch had already decided that if their qualification attempt failed she would drop the sport.
It became a reality.
“I decided to focus on my life, get a career and do what normal people did.”
She then moved to Centurion and started working for the company which still employs her, met her husband Kevin and they married in 2017 before relocating to Durban the next year.
In about 2022 she returned to lifesaving, making the KZN and SA team, and started paddling again.
“For me, it’s always been all or nothing”
She began spending more time in her kayak and participated in events as a member of the Toti Canoe Club but with no particular goals.
Near the end of last year, Sascoc decided to use an African event as a qualifier for Paris, in the K2 category for females.
Koch wasn’t in her best physical shape, but began to dream again.
“I doubled-up on my training sessions.”
When Olivier suggested in January that they team up for the Olympics qualifier held in Johannesburg in March, Koch agreed.
Had they been a split second faster in winning the first qualifying round, it would not have necessitated another race. Their trip to Paris would have been secured.
But the rules required them to return the next day and post another win to ensure qualification.
Olivier was previously infected with Covid-19, which left her with a heart condition and requiring chronic medication.
As a result, her levels of exertion had to be more controlled. The 500m sprints were slightly beyond her range, but she persevered.
They led the second race, but, near the end, Olivier missed her stroke and dropped her paddle.
“Tiff (Koch), I can’t... and the other boat overtook us and won,” Koch recalled.
A third race was required, and whoever won that would go to Paris.
Koch had flashbacks of the Rio disappointment.
“Maybe it’s time I switched to marathon paddling,” was something she contemplated.
Olivier decided not to take her medication ahead of the race, postulating that it would improve her endurance.
Once again, Koch’s boat led the race, but with 50m to go, Olivier blacked out.
“We still managed to cross first and after we finished Esti fell off the boat.
“I was able to hold her up and called for the rescue boat. It was a very dramatic race.”
Koch and Olivier trained apart for Paris.
“Esti would travel from Pretoria to Durban once a month to help us prepare. I had a job and a family to care for, so it was not financially viable for me to spend my own money as I was not on the Sascoc payroll.”
Koch said it was a dream come true to get to Paris and was grateful to her coach Lee McGregor, who coached and encouraged her from his remote position.
She hasn’t ruled out the possibility of competing in LA in 2028.
”We’ll take it a day at a time.”