French Polynesia

Born in Budapest, Hungary, far from the world’s great ocean channels, Beata Markin began her paddling journey in sprint kayaking at just ten years old. What started on flatwater evolved into a career defined by open-ocean racing, resilience, and constant progression. Now based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, she competes at a high level across multiple disciplines  […]

À 21 ans, Ranitea Mamatui avance entre deux mondes. Née et élevée à Tahiti, bercée par le lagon et la culture du Va’a, elle a grandi avec l’océan comme terrain de jeu et comme école de vie. Introduite très tôt à la pirogue par son père, elle y a trouvé bien plus qu’un sport : […]

Sixteen thousand kilometers separate Tahiti from mainland France and that is the distance Ranitea Mamatui chose to cross to pursue her studies. At 21, the Polynesian paddler has traded lagoon waters for a new life at Aix-Marseille University, where she is training to become a physical education teacher. Raised by the ocean and introduced to […]