Wanaka teenager and keen kayaker Jess Bailey (14) is ruing a basketball injury that is keeping her out of the water this winter.
Bailey was recently selected for the New Zealand under-18 development squad for the second year in a row.
The year 10 Mt Aspiring College pupil has her sights firmly set on competing in the Australian national championships in January next year, and wants to be selected for the New Zealand youth team to compete in World Cup races in Europe.
Jess is making a good recovery from surgery in April to reconstruct ligaments in her right knee and hopes to be back on the lakes and rivers soon so she is in good condition for a training camp in September.
"I am not doing much at the moment, but I am going to the gym four times a week, and I've got canoe polo in the pool ... It means I've got to train harder," she said.
Jess' selection was based on her results at the New Zealand schools championships at Waipori and the New Zealand open championships on the Roaring Meg.
Those competitions were held in late March and early April and Jess came home with six firsts and a second, all in the under-16 category.
Other Central Otago teenagers selected in the New Zealand under-18 development squad were Finn Butcher, Matthew Arnott, Marcus Norbury, Robert Hervey, Rachel McLellan and Geoff Johnson.
