14-year-old Oceanside paddler to compete in Hawaii

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Trevor Stevenson is not your average 14-year-old. He has chosen the sport of competitive paddling, and loves every minute of it.

“I like getting on the water, I enjoy the sport. I also like hanging out with my teammates and winning medals, beating other teams and coming in first,” Trevor says.

The 8th grader at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School was introduced to the aquatic pastime by his mother, Erica, and his sister, Summer, who both also love to paddle.

“They taught me a bunch of stuff, along with a few of coaches I’ve had. They pretty much coached me up,” says Trevor.

The younger brother is determined to surpass his big sister, who paddles at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“I’m pretty sure I’m faster than my sister now, maybe. Maybe a few second slower, it’s only because she’s been doing it a little bit longer and she’s older. But I’ll probably be passing her soon,” says Trevor.

The Oceanside native is charting his own path on the seven seas, competing all over the world in places like China, India and Australia. He has represented Team USA, taking home four gold medals.

“It was pretty cool representing Team USA. I don’t really know how to describe it. Representing our country in a national race, I guess that’s a plus. You can say you’re on Team USA too,” Trevor says.

He is preparing with his local team, the Oceanside Outriggers, to prepare for his next big tournament in Hawaii this July.

“The closest goal I have is for Hilo. I just hope we get a few medals, beat some teams, that’s the main goal right now,” Trevor says.

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