Dawson (23), a fourth-year dental student at the University of Otago, needs to spend $50,000 to give himself a chance to reach the podium at Beijing.
He has been financed by the Skeggs Foundation since coming to Dunedin from his home town of Tauranga four years ago.
There has been a steep climb in his expenses this year. Because white-water kayaking and canoeing is not a carded sport with Sparc, no government money is available until he joins the New Zealand Olympic team in Beijing.
"I am attempting to get some private sponsors and am applying to trusts. But it is hard,'' Dawson said.
He qualified in the single seat canoe (C1) at the Oceania Championships at Penrith, Sydney, but still has to satisfy the New Zealand Olympic Committee that he will be competitive in Beijing.
He now has to finish in the top 16 nations at one of the first two World Cup events in Europe in June before he can pack his bags for Beijing. He did not compete at the national championships at Kawerau.
The World Cup events will be held in Prague in the Czech Republic on June 17 and Tacen in Slovenia a week later. At World Cup events, each country can have three competitors, but only one boat can compete at the Olympics.
This makes it easier for Dawson, who must finish in the first 16 country places and not the first 16 individual places.
But the problem is that he must fund the trip himself and this could prevent him from doing other important overseas training before the Olympics.
One of the most important parts of his preparation is to attend training camps at Beijing and canoe on the Olympic course. It is only available for training twice before the Olympics.
The first camp is from April 5 to 15 and a 30-day camp begins on June 25 at Beijing.
He also plans to spend six weeks training in Australia with an international coach who must be paid for his services.
Dawson started kayaking at primary school in Tauranga and became serious about the sport at Tauranga Boys High School. He represented New Zealand as a junior for five years, his best performance fourth at the Youth Olympics at Penrith, Sydney, in 2003.
White-water kayaking and canoe slalom is strong in Tauranga, because there are three rivers within an hour's drive of the city.
"I started paddling for fun,'' Dawson said. "I enjoy being out on the water.''
It is still fun for Dawson, as he trains for 20 hours each week in Dunedin on the Leith, Otago Harbour, the river at Waipori or in the surf at St Clair beach.
"Beijing is a big and pushy course,'' Dawson said. "If you're not on the right line you're going to miss the gates.''
Because Beijing is such an unpredictable course some of the favourites could come to grief and this would open up the podium for canoeists like Dawson.
