Pierre van der Westhuyzen

Sprint kayaker Pierre van der Westhuyzen is paddling a path laid down by his big brother Jean – and he’s keen to become the second Olympic gold medallist in the family.

Pierre and Jean grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, and began canoeing while attending Michaelhouse school in KwaZulu Natal. Pierre represented South Africa at the Youth Olympics in Argentina.

That same year, older brother Jean moved to Australia to pursue his Olympic dreams and later went on to win gold in the K2 1000m at the Tokyo Games.

Pierre followed his brother a couple of years later, moving to the Gold Coast and starting a bachelor of actuarial science at Bond University. He quickly found a place in the Australian men’s sprint kayaking team.

“I got a lot of inspiration from Jean and seeing how well he had done when he came over to Australia and I made the decision then that this is something I could see in my future,” Pierre said.

“Ever since then, in a sport like kayaking, the ultimate dream is the Olympics and I think the Olympic gold medal is the pinnacle of our sport.”

Pierre said the bond he shares with Jean is inspiring him to push hard for an Olympic medal.
“It’s something I’m really lucky to have, to have someone in the family that’s already been through the start of their own journey in this sport,” he said.

“He’s [Jean] helped me see how I can approach my journey. We’re not the exact same athlete … I’d say we are pretty different, but there’s still a lot I can learn from him and just to have him there and see that it is possible [to succeed] is a really big help for me,” he said.

In 2023, Pierre linked up with Riley Fitzsimmons, Jackson Collins and Noah Havard to win silver in the K4 500 at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Poznan, Poland. He was part of the Australian team at the 2023 World Championships, where the K4 500 crew finished just outside the medals.

Pierre was granted Australian citizenship and describes paddling for Australia as an honour he doesn’t take lightly.

“It’s a huge privilege, I’m super lucky to be here and to have this opportunity,” he said.

“There are so many people that would love to have this opportunity to be here, and to represent such a great country, and I’m just one of the people that’s lucky enough to do it.

“Every time I pull on the uniform that’s something I realise and that I’m grateful for. I love the opportunity to wear the green and gold.”