Riding a wave of popularity for the sport in the area, an incredible five Blue Mountains athletes have been selected to compete on national teams in the high intensity sport of canoe/kayak slalom.

The whitewater paddlers from the Western Sydney Academy of Sport dominated selection and will now compete in various events in Europe during 2008.

While all five were selected for either the junior or U/23 teams, Faulconbridge’s Natasha Jones and Ian Borrows, from Lapstone, also had the honour of being selected for the Australian senior team.

For 18-year-old Ian and 16-year-old Natasha, this is an amazing achievement so early in their careers.

It is Ian’s first time on a senior national team after a number of years in the juniors and he is “very relieved” to have made selection.

“(It’s) worthwhile that all my training . . . had actually been paying off,” he said.

“I definitely had it in my sights as a goal but it sort of still came as a bit of a surprise at how well . . . I actually improved throughout the year. I didn’t think I’d be going that quick.”

Ian and Natasha will now compete at the World Cup in Slovenia and then the Pre-World Championships event in Spain this July.

With up to 14 hours per week of training, balancing sporting and work commitments is a battle but Ian plans to persist with the sport, the ultimate goal being selection for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“It’s difficult but if you love something you can always work around things.”

Also selected from the Blue Mountains region were Joey Croft and Ben Horlyck, who will compete in the Junior World Championships in the Czech Republic and Ethan Hodson, a member of the junior team as well as the U/23 team that will travel to Europe later in the year.