LET'S GET THOMAS RUSSELL TO THE WORLD JUNIOR KAYAKING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CANADA

Thomas is a dedicated, up and coming athlete who recently achieved outstanding performances across the 2025/2026 domestic season, particularly at the 2026 Canoe Sprint National Championships in Perth, with the following podium results:

• 🥇 1st – U 18 K1 1000m 
• 🥇 1st – U 18 K4 1000m 
• 🥈 2nd – K1 500m 
• 🥉 3rd – K1 200m
• 🥉 3rd – K2 500m

Thomas has been selected for a second year in a row in the Australian U18 Canoe Sprint Team. He will represent Australia at the Junior World Championships in July 2026 in Halifax, Canada.

Thomas lives in Colac, regional Victoria, and paddles for the Geelong Canoe Club based on the Barwon River. 

He trains predominantly by himself on Lake Colac in the morning before going to school, which in itself highlights his incredible drive to succeed in itself. On top of solo training, he often deals with the unfavourable weather conditions on the very exposed lake. On weeks when he can’t train in Colac due to the conditions, he can travel up to 1000km into Geelong each week (which is much more costly these days). The guidance of the Geelong paddling community, especially his voluntary coach Sean McGee, has been instrumental in helping him get to this stage. 

Your donation will go directly to Thomas and contribute to the costs of getting him to Canada to compete internationally, and support him to follow his dream.  



All donations are fully tax deductible through the Australian Sports Foundation, a registered charity.

Your contribution supports the development of sport in Australia, creating healthier and more active communities. Thank you for your generosity