Kayaking pair aim high

They look good on the water and certainly do not lack the necessary self confidence.

"We're going over there to win really," is how Max Brown described his and fellow 17-year-old Aiden Nossiter's chances in their kayaks at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival, starting on Wednesday.

Part of a 156-strong New Zealand team, the boys are the pride of their Wanganui Multisport and Triathlon club as the local elite athletes in the team.

Competing on the Nepean River at Penrith, outside of Sydney, Brown and Nossiter will be a K2 team for the 1000m, as well as individuals in the K1 1000m.

Nossiter will also combine with Mana's Kurtis Imrie in the K2 200m.

There has also been discussions of a K4 challenge between just New Zealand and Australia at the game's conclusion.

Brown said the international competition would be just like an Olympics for them.

"In the kayaking section you have Japan, Hungary, Brazil, China."

"And Australia, Mixed Oceania," added Nossiter.

"The Australians and Brazil are pretty quick, Hungary are pretty quick at the start."

Both in their fourth year of kayaking, this is Brown's first taste of overseas competition he trialled for the New Zealand team which went to the Czech Republic junior championships in July, in which Nossiter was selected as part of the K4 team.

"It's really good for the club to have two in the team," he said.

"We use to do it as just a social fun thing, turned up every Saturday."

Together they have been training 14 times a week on the Whanganui River over the New Year period for this event.

Coaches Brian Scott, who has been there 5.30am every day, and Aaron Cox have been pushing them, as part of a growing faction of kayakers at the club.

"We try to build the sport up a bit. When I first started there was only six people," said Nossiter.

Both are keenly aware of the massive heat wave that has engulfed Sydney over the past week.

Brown admits his nerves about combating the sweltering temperatures, however Nossiter is drawing on his European experience where the team made sure to stay indoors at all times outside competition to avoid heat stroke.

"You slowly get used to it."

Kayaking events will be from Wednesday to Friday.

From there, the pair are looking ahead to the nationals, which will be a trial for the Junior World Championships in August their next big goal.

Other sports at the Australian festival include athletics, three on three basketball, badminton, canoeing, cycling, diving, golf, swimming, gymnastics, shooting, triathlon, rowing, weightlifting, wrestling and rowing.

There will be 1700 athletes from 30 nations attending.