Lockhart’s Orr Brothers, continue making their mark in endurance canoe racing

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                       

   A year after being featured for their growing success in competitive canoe racing, Lockhart brothers William and Matthew Orr continue to prove they belong among some of the strongest endurance paddlers in the country. 

     The brothers, who have been in canoes since they were old enough to walk, spent the past year competing in two of the sport’s most challenging events: the 120-mile AuSable River Canoe Marathon in Michigan and the 260-mile Texas Water Safari.

   William, 17, graduated from Focus Prep in Lockhart in May. He is currently learning how to repair and build canoes while also working as a ranch hand and exploring a possible career as a lineman. Matthew, 16, will enter his junior year while taking dual-credit courses through Austin Community College and Focus Prep. He also works part time while learning construction and welding skills.

   Despite their school, work and career responsibilities, the brothers continue devoting countless hours to training and racing. William and Matthew began competing in small local races when they were about 8 years old. What started as a childhood activity steadily grew into a passion for long-distance racing and the demanding physical and mental challenges that come with it.

   Their latest achievements have helped establish them as members of a rising group of young paddlers known throughout the canoe-racing community as the Texas Young Guns. The Orr brothers are not the only young athletes helping build that reputation. Throughout the year, they have trained alongside a group of self-motivated teenagers who share the same goal of becoming faster, stronger and more competitive. Last fall, six of the young paddlers teamed up for the Tour du Teche in Louisiana.      The group won the 135-mile stage race while competing against an open field featuring paddlers of different experience levels and canoe designs.

   In 2025, William and Matthew competed in their first AuSable River Canoe Marathon in Grayling, Michigan. They entered the race as its youngest team and returned in 2026 with more experience and a goal of finishing among the top 40. They were once again the youngest team in the field. The AuSable begins with its famous running start, during which competitors sprint through the streets carrying their canoes before launching into the river. Once on the river, competitors paddle approximately 120 miles through the night without stopping. Racers must also navigate several large dams, where they exit the water, carry their canoes around the obstacle and relaunch downstream.

     William and Matthew earned the 17th starting position through an impressive qualifying sprint. However, the brothers understood that maintaining that position throughout an overnight ultramarathon would be difficult. Using lessons learned from their first AuSable and other long-distance races, William developed a strategy that focused on maintaining a controlled and sustainable pace. Instead of pushing too hard during the opening stages and exhausting themselves, the brothers settled into a steady rhythm they believed they could maintain throughout the night.

   During the race, they repeatedly traded positions with another Texas Young Guns team featuring Kyle Issendorf of New Braunfels and Annika Garcia of San Antonio. Although the teams were competing against each other, the young Texas paddlers continued encouraging one another to remain strong and keep moving toward the finish line. William and Matthew stayed committed to their race plan before making a final push during the closing portion of the marathon. They recorded the 16th-fastest split time during the final leg, moving them into 40th place. The brothers completed the race in 16 hours and 18 minutes, achieving their goal of earning a top-40 finish.

   The Orr brothers also recorded impressive results in the Texas Water Safari, a 260-mile race beginning in San Marcos and ending in Seadrift. Matthew raced as a member of the legendary Cowboys team, a six-person racing crew. The team finished 11th overall out of approximately 120 entries with a time of 52 hours and 29 minutes. William competed alongside his mother, forming a family team that captured first place in the Mixed Tandem Unlimited division. They also finished second in the Adult-Youth division and placed 13th overall with a time of 52 hours and 33 minutes.

   Only four minutes separated Matthew’s Cowboys team and William’s tandem team after more than 52 hours of racing. The results added another chapter to what has already become an impressive journey for the Orr family and the growing Texas Young Guns program.

   From childhood races to some of the most demanding endurance events in the country, William and Matthew continue demonstrating the discipline, determination and teamwork required to compete at a high level.