Johann Roozenburg already has the whitewater skills to take him to the top - now he hopes to get the knowledge to bring others with him.
The Tauranga kayaker and New Zealand representative has won a $10,000 Prime Minister's scholarship to further his coaching skills in the sport.
Roozenburg ( pictured left) who was 55th at the world championships in Australia last year, will use some of the scholarship to get to Europe and pick the brains of the best slalom kayakers in the world.
"I want to focus on race strategies and helping our athletes perform better on the day," Roozenburg said.
"We put down some good pace at the world championships - my second split was in the top 20 or 25, but after that it kind of fell apart.
"It's a mental game, and I want to learn some techniques from people who have been there and done it and then learn how to teach that onwards to other athletes in the team and the younger ones coming through."
The 22-year-old finished an engineering degree at Massey University last year, and has a short-term contract with Slalom New Zealand as the sport's development officer.
He's already got eight Bay of Plenty and Waikato schools on board, and is taking them through to the secondary school nationals in April.
Slalom New Zealand hopes his efforts will help emulate last year's membership growth, which increased the numbers by 25 per cent.
On the race front, Roozenburg is heading down to the first national selection race in Kawerau this weekend, with the final trial in Shannon next week.
A trio of Tauranga paddlers - Roozenburg, Mike Dawson and Jared Meehan - is expected to dominate the racing.
Wanaka-based national snowboarding coach Tom Willmott - who coaches Mount Maunganui Winter Olympians Kendall and Mitchell Brown - also received $9900 towards his work.
Prime Minister's High Performance Scholarships:
Badminton: Tim Carmichael, Auckland, $2900.
Canoeing: Johann Roozenburg, Tauranga, $10,000. Cycling: Mark Lucas, Invercargill, $10,000. Hockey: Sue McLeish, Hamilton, $10,000. Skate Sports: John Michael, Palmerston North $7500, Janey Schenker, Auckland, $6500, Jacqui Innes, Palmerston North, $5700, Linsay Grant, Napier, $5000, Pamela Peters, Nelson $3700, Roy Dobbin, Palmerston North $1500. Snow Sports: Tom Willmott, Wanaka, $9900. Squash: Lindsey Walters, Invercargill, $4900, Nick Mita, Christchurch, $4700, Jenny Bell, Cambridge, $4300, Robbie Wyatt, Auckland, $4000. Yachting: Andrew Brown, Auckland, $10,000, Ian Neely, Auckland, $10,000, Nathan Handley, Auckland, $10,000. Yachting (Paralympics): Matt Davies, Auckland, $9200.
