Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 109, Aug 2018 | Page 28

Reaching
Her Peek
TRAIL RUNNING
With a streak of race
wins in trail running
events, Cana Peek
is making a name for
herself in the sport, on
top of already being a
Dusi Canoe Marathon
winner. As she explains,
the two sports really do
go together well.
Cana in action at
the Cape Winter
Trail Series
– BY SEAN FALCONER
It goes without saying that being a strong runner
really helps, and that’s why 20-year-old Cana Peek
has excelled in the Dusi. “I think running is a huge
aspect of the race, especially for me. I don’t think I
have a natural build for canoeing, because you need
a lot of power and strength to push through the water,
especially on the flat water and sprint sections. But
being so light does benefit me in rocky waters, and
more importantly, it means less muscle mass to carry
when out of boat,” she says.
PADDLING PROWESS
Cana began paddling while attending Epworth High
School in Pietermaritzburg, just a few kays from the
Dusi starting point, and says it all started thanks to
the annual Adventure the school offers. “One was to
paddle around Mauritius, so I had to be fit enough
to be chosen to go. I soon found that I was getting
The Peek sisters in action at the Dusi
better at paddling, so I started doing
races, and I also enjoyed the outdoor
element far more than being on a
hockey field or the squash court.”
That led to her doing her first Dusi in
2014, at the age of just 15. That year it
was the K2 two-seater race, so she paddled
with a schoolmate and they finished first in the
under-18 girls’ category and seventh female team
overall. The following year was a K1 race and Cana
surprised everybody, herself included, by finishing
second overall. In 2016 she partnered with Kyeta
Purchase and they once again won the under-18
category as they finished third overall. race.
I was
awarded school colours and became the school cross
country captain.”
After skipping the 2017 race while taking a break from
paddling to begin her B.A. Sports Science degree
at Stellenbosch University, Cana returned this year
to partner her older sister Jordan (22), who was also
studying at Maties at the time, and they dominated
the race from start to finish. “This was the first time
we paddled the Dusi together, and just to go through
all that experience, the training and the race, with my
best friend and my role model was awesome. With
a sister you can be absolutely blunt and honest, you
shout at each other and you have to be tough, but the
whole time there is banter and we keep each other
entertained on the water.” Now Cana has taken to trail running in a big way. At
the time of writing, she had competed in nine trail
races in 2018, and won them all, including the 24km
event at the Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge in
Stellenbosch and the first race of the Cape Winter
Trail Series. “At both races, I was behind at the start,
but passed the leading women on the technical
downhills. I seem to be able to go faster there,”
she says. “Everywhere I travel, I try to do trail runs,
because it’s a great way to get out and see places,
but I am trying to be smart with races. I would race
every weekend if I could, but I know that’s not healthy
– and I want to see how far I can go in the sport.”
RUNNING TALENT
At the same time as getting into paddling, Cana
also discovered a talent and love for running. “I did
athletics from grade eight to grade 10, running the
1500m and 3000m and earning provincial colours,
but I found the training on the track got a bit boring.
I preferred running cross country, and in high school
I ran every single race for Epworth in the inter-school
league from grade eight to grade 12, and won every
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ISSUE 109 AUGUST 2018 / www.modernathlete.co.za
Looking ahead, Cana says her preference now
definitely lies in running rather than paddling. “During
school I couldn’t choose a favourite, but now I really
do prefer my running. Canoeing in the Western Cape
is not as supported as back home in KZN, whereas
trail running here is much bigger, with a great vibe and
social aspect. Also, it’s a lot easier to pick up your
shoes and hop out on to the mountain, versus taking
your boat and equipment to a dam!”
T
he FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon covers just
over 120km from Pietermaritzburg to Durban
in KwaZulu-Natal each February, and some
people joke that it is actually a running event with a bit
of paddling thrown in. That’s because some rapids or
weirs are too risky to shoot in the boats, or long loops
can be cut out with an over-hill portage, so paddlers
do at least 20km of running during the three-day
event, with their boats on their shoulders.