Waka ama: Far North teens to compete at 2022 IVF Va'a World Sprints in London

Kaitāia's Chelsea Reti, 13, first took to waka ama as a 6-year-old following in her family's footsteps. Photo / Supplied

Kaitāia teen Chelsea Reti's build-up to the waka ama world stage is about "trying to be better than who you were the day before".

The 13-year-old is putting her all into preparing for the 2022 IVF Va'a World Sprints where she will compete in a one-person outrigger canoe, and with other Northlanders in Team Tiare.

From August 8 to 16, the waters of Dorney Lake in London will fill with 1308 paddlers from 21 countries vying for podium finishes.

With the date closing in, Reti has been training every day, either working on her cardio and strength or further honing her paddling.

"We're always just trying to be better than who we were the day before," she said.

Reti believed a strong mental game held the key to unlocking success in waka ama.

"A lot of it is to do with your mind space. You don't have to be the fastest person or the strongest.

"It's about having that passion for something and that you love doing it - that will make you go on and do it to your best ability."

A highlight of the world championships for Chelsea Reti is doing it with others by your side rather than alone. Photo / Supplied

Reti was just 6 when waka ama became her playground. Her young age was not surprising, given the sport had filtered down through the generations in her whānau.

Her uncle, celebrated paddler Bo Herbert, created the Ngā Hoe Horo Canoe Club that put Pawarenga on the sport's global map.

"The club was a way to keep teens safe from doing things like drugs and gangs. It was something positive for them to focus on," Reti said.

When she initially dipped her toes into waka ama, the sport was more about fun and getting out on the water with friends who had grown up paddling together.

But in early 2019 Reti, having tucked a mixture of serious and fun events under her waka ama belt with notable wins, decided to put her all into it.

"It's become more than just a sport and something to keep me active. I've grown a love for paddling.

"When I'm out there, I'm not just going hard out every time. I do chilled paddles where I feel one with the ocean," Reti said.

Team Tiare has been fundraising for months to cover the cost of attending the world championship - with a price tag of around $5000 per person.

"Everyone has really been playing. We're making sure to help our people who may not have the same support systems as some of us," Reti said.

She was grateful for the support of her sponsor Mauri, her school Te Rangi Āniwaniwa, her iwi Ngāti Wai, and the ANT Trust.

"Going to an event like this isn't just about doing it on yourself but about doing it with others by your side."