September 13-2013
A former member of Iran’s national kayak team is now paddling as part of the US national women’s team.
Arezou Motamedi-Fakhr, 24, is listed as one of the three members of the 2013 US Sprint National Team, a spot she earned by coming in third last year in the Canoe/Kayak National Championships in Oklahoma City in the 500 meter, 1,000-meter and 5,000-meter sprint events.
Last month, she kayaked in the World Championships as the American entry in the 1,000-meter kayak sprint. She came in 13th of 18 kayakyers with a time of just under 4 minutes and 20 seconds, which put her a little more than 11 seconds behind the gold medalist from the Czech Republic. Silver was won by a Hungarian and bronze by a Bulgarian, in an Eastern European sweep.
Altogether, 956 male and female canoeists and kayakers from 78 nations participated in the World Championships in Duisburg, Germany. Iran did not participate.
In 2011, Motamedi was on the Iranian national team and came in fourth in Asia in the 200-meter kayak race at the Asian Qualification Games. That gave her a slot in the 2012 London Olympics. But Roozonline said Iranian officials excluded her from the Olympics.
Motamedi then came to the United States for her higher education and to develop her kayaking skills further.
In an interview last year, Motamedi said, “I learned to paddle six years ago and was on the Iranian national canoe/kayak team for five years. I knew if I wanted to improve my performance, I needed to come to the US.”
When researching places to train, she learned about the Oklahoma City National High Performance Center, one of the few places in the world that focuses on canoeing and kayaking.
“I have family in California so that is where I went when I first got here. I told them I wanted to go to Oklahoma and they told me I wouldn’t like it, but I love it there. The people are really nice, which is really important to me. And, I have raced with Iran at World Cups and World Championships and I have never seen anything like the training center in Oklahoma City. It’s amazing,” she said.
Motamedi started taking courses at a community college to improve her English and planned to enroll in a degree program this year.
“My parents are so happy for me to be in America to pursue my two dreams; to get my education and to reach the highest level I can in kayaking. This is an amazing opportunity for me that I would not have in Iran.”
Motamedi said, “I’m hoping to do my very best and will keep working hard so I can make it to the Olympics and race for the USA.” Under International Olympic rules, that will require that she become an American citizen.
A kayak is a small boat developed by the native peoples of the Arctic. Unlike a canoe, the top is covered to prevent water from pouring in. It is powered by a single two-bladed paddle.
