Coming from a large, extended family in a small southern town, House has done what many from Gainesville can only dream to accomplish—to represent the U.S. in international competition.

“It’s a small town. The people I know there—high school is everything to them,” said House. “It’s easy to become confined to just Gainesville.”

A longtime Boy Scout and avid outdoorsman, it is no wonder that this 19-year-old excels at kayaking.

“I’ve always been a part of Boy Scouts. I got my Eagle Scout this year,” House said. “The Eagle Scout is a pretty big deal; it’s always been a goal of mine.”

Encouraged by a supportive family, House stepped into his first kayak at age eight. Just five years later, he began competing with the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club.

House currently trains under Australia natives Guy and Shelly Wilding.

“Before Guy and Shelly, we had a European coach who focused on long distance. We didn’t do as much speed work,” House said. “Guy and Shelly’s idea was to integrate speed work throughout the whole year to get the fast-twitch muscles where they need to be. Also, Shelly is a big help with the mental side. She teaches you to forget about the bad stuff and focus on the positive.”

A combination of new coaching style and House’s unreserved determination earned him a fifth-place finish in the 500m flatwater sprint at the 2005 Junior World Championships in Szeged, Hungary—his proudest achievement so far.

House’s success at the Junior Worlds is a triumph he can stack on top of his ever-growing mound of accomplishments. Since 2002, House has earned 16 gold medals at the juvenile, junior and senior levels.

But it doesn’t end there.

Just seven days after the completion of the Junior Worlds, House was the last to arrive in Zagreb, where he joined the rest of the U.S. Men’s Senior World Team. House and his teammates will compete against the world’s best kayak athletes at the 2005 Senior World Championships.

“Being on the senior world team is kind of a foot in the door,” House said. “I’ve been watching these senior athletes for years—hoping one day that I would be as good as them. And now I’ll be racing next to them. It’s a real experience.”

It is not always an easy ride on the race to success.

House competed in the K-1 (single person kayak) at the Junior Worlds. With little time to prepare, he must retune his focus on the K-4 (four person kayak) 200m, 500m and 1000m events at the Senior Worlds.

“The only problem is that I’m racing K-4,” House said. “In the Junior Worlds I was racing K-1. We [Senior World Team] didn’t have much time in the boat, but I still think it’s going to go well.”

Competing in the Senior Worlds gives House an opportunity to paddle against his Olympic hero, Australia’s Nathan Baggaley. Baggaley earned the silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

The 2005 Senior Worlds is only a stepping stone as House continues on his path to the 2008 Olympic Games in Bejing, China.

“I’m not sure if I’ll race K-1, K-2 or K-4, but I’d like to race K-1—I’ll train as hard as I can to get there [2008 Olympic Games]. I know it’s going to take a lot of work.”

Inspired by his stepfather Steve, a recent cancer survivor, his family and the dedicated coaching duo from Australia, House finds it in himself to compete selflessly.

“I know he [Steve] was hurting a lot more than I would ever be in a race,” said House.

Ranked in the top 10 in the World at the junior level, House is a promise of much more to come in the sport of kayaking.