Dimitri Joukovski started paddling at age 10, went on to compete at the national and international level, and is now sharing his passion and experience of the sport with young athletes in Langley.
Joukovski is the new head coach for the Fort Canoe and Kayak Club, a job he undertook just last month.
He is a Canadian sprint canoer who came to Canada from Belarus in 1997 and paddled on the Canadian national team for eight years. He won three silver medals at the Canoe Sprint World Championships earning them in 2002, 2003, and 2006, as well as two golds at the Pan American Championships.
After retiring from international racing, he began coaching, acting as head coach in both Canada and Belarus.
In 2011, he came back to Canada to work in the oil fields in Northern Alberta.
But his heart has been calling him back to paddling, so he is returning to the sport.
Club members are excited to welcome him to Langley, in particular, said club commodore Sandra Young.
“We are thrilled to welcome a world-class coach to work with our youth athletes,” she said.
“Dimitri brings a tremendous amount of experience as an athlete and a coach to our club. Keeping programming going over the past three years was a challenge, and having a new coach will allow us to build the club and offer more opportunities to local athletes.”
Fort Canoe and Kayak Club offers recreational and competitive programs for youth and adults. The club operates out of the paddlesport dock on the Bedford Channel in Fort Langley.
Fort athletes compete in local and national tournaments annually.
In 2022, the club sent athletes to the Canada Summer Games, the Sprint National Championships, and the BC Summer Games, where Fort athletes had podium finishes.
Already in the 2023 season, athletes have competed at local races in Maple Ridge, Burnaby, and most recently in Seattle.
Paddling programs, including an introduction to kayaking and summer day camps, are available for youth and adults during the summer.
More information can be found online at https://fortcanoekayak.ca/.
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