FORMER Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club member Daniel Bowker will represent Australia in kayaking at the Rio Olympics.
Bowker joined the surf club when he was 11 years old, competing in the under-12 competitions.
He was initially drawn to rowing surfboats but eventually switched to surf skis.
He won the under-21 state surf ski title and was soon headhunted to join the Bayswater kayak squad.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWTwice he made the Australian under-23 kayak team and competed in Europe in 2009 and 2010.
He moved from Perth to the Gold Coast in 2013 to be surrounded by the best paddlers in Australia.This year, after eight years of trying, Bowker made his senior international Australian debut at the Oceania Championships.
Now he will make his Olympic debut in Rio after a strong performance at the selection trials in the K1 1000m.