PADDLER 92
PADDLER 92
Right : My son Kailix , is in love with snowboarding and has Olympic aspirations
Despite this , that season competing in Europe remains one of my most cherished memories . I loved competing , and while I was a mid-pack to rear marker most of the time , the challenge was always there to beat someone who had bested me in the previous race . I continued to train with enthusiasm and vigour , and race with passion and delight . I welcomed the new course ’ s arrival each week , learning its secrets ( courses the Europeans had raced on for years but were each new to me ) and looking forward to race day .
A SHINY NEW BOAT
In Augsburg , I , unfortunately , snapped my boat in half ( doing pirouettes in a hole like an idiot ), and Jan Keller lent me his old Pyranha Flight – a relic from the previous decade . I appreciated the loan for the race ( and had a decent result ), but in desperation , I called Andy Bridge in the USA to ask if he could make me a new boat from the mould . I pointed out that I had no money and couldn ’ t pay for it . He came through for me , made the boat , and gave it to the US team to bring over . So , I had a shiny new boat for Barcelona , with my ( heavy ) repaired original as my backup .
I was fast in practice at the challenging course in La Seu D ’ urgel ( the little village in the Catalan mountains where the course was located ), and a top-20 was an outside possibility . The opening ceremony in Barcelona for the Games itself was a marvel ; standing out there with all those amazing athletes and tens of thousands of people cheering you on from the stands was an experience I ’ ll never forget .
COULDA , SHOULDA , MIGHTA
Sadly , race day was a disaster ; missing a gate ( both runs ) and having to loop back for it put me in the lower reaches of the pack . Despite this enormous time loss , everywhere else , I was fast , and without that colossal error , who knows ? Coulda , shoulda , mighta . Alick placed two spots ahead of me and Gary a place behind . I ’ m sure half the field has their ‘ mistake ’ story .
After the event , a representative from South Africa told me that if I wanted to compete for South Africa in the 1996 games , I had to move back there and ‘ train the next generation as the coach ’. It was not a paying gig . I pointed out that my goal at the next Olympics was to medal , not just to attend , and to do this , I needed to live and train with the best . I was told categorically that I would not have a spot on the team unless I moved back to South Africa , no matter how fast I was .
FREESTYLE
I returned to the USA , leaving my kayak at the checkin desk in Frankfurt when they refused to put it on the plane , much to the dismay of the personnel left to deal with it . I decided to take another path for my competitive urges – freestyle .
As I circle back to the top , these hardships must be kept in perspective . Unlike so many people around the world who have nothing , mine were by choice . At any time , I could quit , get a job , and live well . I chose this life . The hurdles were motivating for me . The treatment by my team members motivated me to train harder , be faster , and beat them .
I also learned the value of being kind to others . So many were kind to me during those years , and their small acts of kindness , meaning nothing to them , were of unimaginable help to me . To this day , whenever I see someone in need , I try to make a small effort to help . I know from experience that even small gestures are a big deal .
Slalom in South Africa rapidly faded . They didn ’ t qualify for a kayak for the 1996 games , and the sport died a pitiful , scornful death . I went on to win a medal three times on the world stage in freestyle .
ALICK AND GARY
Alick died in a flying accident decades later , and Gary , who I remained friends with ( and he tried to be there for me without endangering his position with the others ), moved to Canada , where he lives with his family .
To this day , slalom remains my first love .