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Ugandan kayak team prepares for competition after stressful journey to Canada

The Ugandan freestyle kayaking team is settling back down to earth and preparing for Sunday's competition after a whirlwind trip to Ottawa they thought wasn't possible.

"In the beginning, it looked like it wouldn't happen," said 23-year-old Yusuf Basalirwa on Thursday. "Here now, this ... is just like I'm back in Uganda."

Basalirwa and his three teammates — 23-year-old Sadat Kawawa, 23-year-old AminaTayona and 40-year-old David Egesa — had their visa applications rejected twice before they were allowed into Canada on their third try.

By the time their visas finally came through, the cost of booking their flights had increased and they realized they didn't have enough funding to cover the increased cost.

But an online fundraising campaign pulled together thousands of dollars within hours, and the athletes arrived in Ottawa on Monday to start training on the Ottawa River.

The 2015 ICF Freestyle World Championships run from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 in Beachburg, Ont., just east of Pembroke, Ont.

"I am so happy, but I am this happy because of the people who helped me coming here," Basalirwa said.

"I am just wondering how beautiful these people are, how loving they are, how caring they are. I am so happy about this because I was told when you go outside Africa, to Europe, North America, South America or whatever, people only care about their business; they won't even say hi. But people here are like, hey! Just like what happens at home."

He also said that while he likes Canada, he thinks it's funny anyone would think he'd plan to stay.

"I like this Canada, I like it really much, but I don't think I'll stay here forever because that's what people were worried about. That's why they were like, no, we can't give you the visas, you might get stuck in our country," he said.

"It's really beautiful [in Canada], I like it, but I like Uganda the most. It's where my family is, it's where I work ... Canada is good but Uganda is good."

Teammate David Egesa agreed.

"Why should I be crazy and stay in Canada where it's cold?" he said.