Team Manitoba kayaker Luke Enns leading by example at the Canada Games

ST. JOHN'S – Luke Enns is one of the most accomplished athletes at the 2025 Canada Games.

That's not just because of the way the Olympic-hopeful kayaker carries himself in competition, but for how he does in everyday life — as a quiet leader on and off the water.

Enns competes in eight events at Quidi Vidi Lake, in the east end of St. John's, but his Canada Games experience stretches far beyond that. This is the third time the 19-year-old from Winnipeg has competed at the Games. He won two medals in kayak at the 2022 Games and competed in biathlon at the 2023 Games, but the 2025 Games are still a unique experience for him.

That's because Enns was chosen as Team Manitoba's flag-bearer for the opening ceremony.

"It was an honour to be the flag-bearer for Team Manitoba and to lead the team. I haven't had that experience before, so it was very, very nice," he said. "I did a speech at the pep rally [and] I said a couple of words."

The message he delivered to his fellow Team Manitoba athletes was simple: the most important lesson he's learned at the Canada Games is that hard work and dedication can put an underdog on the podium.

"I just shared my experience of in 2022 [when] we won two bronze medals. That was something that nobody was really expecting.

"One thing [I've learned at the Canada Games] is just to keep pushing no matter what," Enns said. "Even if you're in a position where you're not expected to do well or not expected to medal, there's always opportunities to medal or to do things that you didn't think were a possibility."

Luke Enns is a leader on and off the water for Team Manitoba at the Canada Games

Enns isn't a loud voice, but one that resonates with his teammates — a natural who leads by example, according to