Mike Ballard set for Paracanoe World Cup after overcoming potentially lethal infection

Mike Ballard hopes to be more competitive than ever when he arrives at the Paracanoe World Cup in Poland next month, after overcoming a potentially lethal condition.

The Abu Dhabi-based kayaker will head to the event in Poznan in May having raced what he deemed his “most technically sound race” to date to become the United States champion in his category.

Ballard’s long-term aim is qualification for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, in the KL2 Men’s 200m category of the paracanoe discipline.

The Michigan-born athlete played down his achievement of becoming national champion in California earlier this month. But he did say he had “accomplished everything we wanted to” in the wake of his troubled pre-season.

“I had this injury that kept me completely off water for all my pre-season,” Ballard said.

“What I am most excited about is that I hopped in an unfamiliar boat completely unfit, way too heavy, and put up a time that was a full second better than I managed in Hungary [in a Paralympic qualifying event last year].

“I raced the most technically sound race of my career. There is lots of really good stuff to build on. It could not have gone any better.”

Ballard will now head to Poznan for the World Cup from May 26 to 29. Because of the issues he faced at the turn of 2022, he is regarding that event as part of his preparation for the World Championships in Nova Scotia, then the Pan-American Games, in August.

Mike Ballard competing in California at the start of April. Photo: Mike Ballard

Last September, Ballard discovered a pressure sore while conducting a routine skin check ahead of a trip up the coast to Dubai to train with a leading Hungarian paddler.

“If you don’t manage it, it can kill you,” said Ballard, who has been