Quirky way you can spot a Gold Coast Olympic kayaking hopeful

If you’re currently sipping a cappuccino in your local coffee shop you could be seated near some sprint kayaking royalty.

IF you’re currently sipping a cappuccino in your local coffee shop you could be seated near some sprint kayaking royalty.

How do I know this? Because kayakers can’t live without coffee and the Gold Coast is home to a host of Australia’s top paddlers.

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In fact, I calculated that over the past three Olympiads the Gold Coast can stake claim to more than 50 per cent of the kayak team. Full disclosure though, maths isn’t my strong point, but you get the idea.

Alyce Wood with coach Anna Wood. Picture: Steve McArthur / Paddle Australia

Gold Coasters are pretty good at paddling forwards in a straight line, quickly.

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic team set to be officially announced soon, I thought I would pay homage to some Olympic legends whose performances are what this year’s team will be aspiring to replicate.

Grant Kenny in 1984.

Australia has won a total of 16 sprint kayak Olympic medals since 1956 and has been on the podium every year since Barry Kelly and Grant Kenny won bronze in the K2 1000 at the 1984 LA Olympics.

Further to this, the Gold Coast has podiumed every year since 1984 as well.

How’s that for a good track record?

In 1988 Grant “Grunner” Davies cemented his name in history by winning a silver in the K1 1000.

Silver medalist in the K1 Grant Davies and wife Pauline.

Grant is a true Gold Coast success story and is part of the furniture around the Southport area.

He went to school at TSS, his dad Dick is a legendary boat sweep at Southport SLSC and now Grunner spends most of his days at the beach as a lifeguard for the Council.

In 1992 the men’s K4 1000 crew took home bronze after completing countless hours of paddling up and down the canals in Miami and then in 1996 Australia won its first female medal in the K2 500 with two Gold Coasters, Katrin Borchert and Anna Wood, taking home bronze.

Katrin now teaches at Bond Uni and Anna is the national female head coach.

She’s also my mother-in-law. Yep, my coach and my husband’s mum.

Dinner is a hoot sometimes.

Katrin Borchert and Anna Wood during the 1996 Games.

Let’s get back to it...

When the 2000s hit, the medals kept streaming in for the Gold Coast but there was one guy who stole the show: Ken Wallace.

At the 2008 Olympics Ken took home two medals, a bronze in the K1 1000 and a gold in the K1 500 which kickstarted an era of strong performances from the Gold Coast men.

This included a gold in the K4 1000 at the 2012 Olympics and then a bronze in the K2 1000 at the 2016 Games among a host of other solid results.

I could go on forever with stories of local legends in our sport.

Stories of everyday Gold Coasters doing some pretty extraordinary things.

With the 2020 team set to be officially announced soon, I’m confident this legacy will continue.

It should be a team full of Gold Coasters and a team that you and I can both be proud of.