In Memoriam: John Wood (1950 - 2023) TEN YEARS

Ten years and still an inspiration ... 👍💪🏆☀️

Three-time Olympian Achieved Greatness In Sport And Business

Reprinted from The Globe And Mail: by Hayley Mick, Friday, February 1, 2013

Canoeist is credited with opening door for Canadian paddlers with his silver-medal finish in Montreal

Frame from the films PADDLES UP! and WINNING! 

On a hot afternoon last summer, a group of young paddlers gathered in a conference room at a hotel near Toronto Pearson Airport. They were flying to London that evening, and CanoeKayak Canada had invited a few of their heroes to offer words of inspiration. John Wood, a 62-year-old legend, spoke first.

His casual appearance - black shorts, glasses and purple short-sleeved shirt - belied Wood's iconic status in Canadian paddling, and also his wealth. He spoke with the ease of a man accustomed to a boardroom - after winning silver at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, he made millions as a stockbroker and the innovative CEO of numerous investment companies. But the three-time Olympian also knew exactly what the young athletes needed in the stomach-churning days before the Games.

He made them laugh.

"It was stand-up comedian-type funny," recalls Larry Cain, who won gold and silver in singles canoe racing in Los Angeles in 1984, and also addressed the Olympians that day. "I got totally off on it, and here I was at age 49 as thrilled to hear him speak as I was at 14. I was also thrilled because a whole new generation of Canadian paddlers was getting to know the guy who started it all."

And yet beneath the affable exterior was a man who had struggled with an illness that touches as many as one in 10 Canadians. His closest friends knew that he faced periods of depression over the years, but since his death by suicide Jan. 23, even they have struggled to reconcile the way he died with the person they knew: a fun-loving, Porsche-driving family man who achieved greatness in sport and business, yet always seemed the most humble guy in the room.

Wood's wife, Debbie Daymond, and their four children, Jason, Michael, Alan and Jenny, ages 31 to 23, say they hoped that, by acknowledging the cause of death, "it might assist others suffering from mental illness to seek help," writes friend and former coach Mac Hickox in a statement approved by the family.

Hickox got to know Wood as a teammate in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when both belonged to the dominant Mississauga Canoe Club, competing at nationals and later, worlds. But when Hickox began his transition to a teaching career, Wood lured him back onto the water, asking him to be his coach and help him hurdle past his fifth-place world standing in 1973. "You have to understand, this is a person who was so determined," said Hickox.

That drive is evident in Paddles Up, an 18-minute documentary featuring Wood the year after he medalled in Montreal. As he paddles down the Credit River in Mississauga, his shaggy hair in his eyes and sun on his bare back, his remarkable concentration is evident in each rhythmic, perfect stroke.

Over the splashes from the blade, he says: "What I enjoy most about padding in a race is winning. But that's not necessarily what I enjoy most about paddling. I get real satisfaction out of training: just spinning along out of doors."

Before Montreal, a Canadian paddler had not won an Olympic medal since 1952. And when Wood finished just 34/100ths of a second behind Alexandre Rogov of the Soviet Union in the 500-metre singles, he offered hope to paddlers across the continent that the East Bloc's dominance could be broken. His achievement has been called the catalyst that has led Canadian paddlers to win medals in every Olympics since Montreal, except 1988.

"He bashed down a door and held it open for everybody else," says Cain.

But soon after inspiring the next generation, Wood was racing off in another direction: business. He began by following his father's footsteps into chartered accounting, but soon found a niche as a stockbroker, a field that better suited his creative mind and ability to think outside the box. Ten years after Montreal, he founded 20/20 Financial, an investment company specializing in mutual funds.

Wood put together a small, loyal team that would do things differently: Rather than rely on in-house staff to come up with investment portfolios, they scanned the globe for hotshots with expertise in niche markets, and packaged their picks. While that strategy is widely adopted now, it was innovative at the time - as were some of the markets that 20/20 Financial was delving into, such as India. The strategy paid off. In 10 years, Wood and his team took the company from zero assets to over $4-billion. The company was sold in 1995.

Laurie Davis, a chartered accountant Wood hired early on and his business partner ever since, said he was an anomaly in the cutthroat, ego-driven world of business. "He was one of those very unusual leaders who really had no ego. He really wasn't striving for power, he was striving for influence. And people gravitated toward him because he really didn't care who you were or where you were from; he would see something in you and he would let it develop."

His fortune set, Wood could have retired at 45. Instead, he spent almost two decades applying his business instincts and to a wide range of projects, from real-estate ventures to scanning technology used in galleries and museums.

The athlete who competed in an era of East Bloc dopers, never lost his disgust for cheats. Whether it was duping investors with hidden commissions, or doping in sport, he despised duplicity and bad governance. And he didn't shy away from trying to fix such problems, such as devising ways to make the mutual-funds industry more transparent and helping the Canadian Olympic Committee make its financial system more efficient.

"There was no in-between with John. ... He just didn't care if it offended you, if it was in the right," Davis says.

Despite his inner problems, Wood knew what made him happy. Sport was a constant in his life, and he saw more than his share of sunrises, whether squeezing in a round at the Toronto Golf Club before work, or spinning his canoe down Sixteen Mile Creek near his home in Oakville, Ont..

Adam van Koeverden, a four-time Olympic medalist in singles kayak, recalls how Wood would often be wrapping up his workout at the Burloak Canoe Club in Oakville before his own group made it onto the water.

"He'd go for a 10-kilometre paddle and take, like, 65 strokes a minute for the whole thing without a break, still sweating and breathing hard as he wiped the creek water from his wooden canoe. The man epitomized a lifelong dedication to sport and fitness to me," van Koeverden writes on his blog.

It was his family, though, that he was dedicated to the most. Daymond, also an accomplished golfer, was often his partner on the links or the tennis court. He snowboarded with Michael in Whistler, travelled to Peru with Jenny, played Scotland's famed St. Andrews course with Alan, and discussed business with entrepreneur Jason.

Right up until the end, friends and acquaintances said, he was making lunch dates, and firing off e-mails, quizzing people for insights on the next big idea.

"I've spent the last week now talking to people all across Canada who knew him, who worked with him, and it was always the same kind of theme. He was always forthright in his views, but very caring, and the kind of person who would do whatever he could to help anybody," says Bob Sewell, president and CEO of Bellwether Investment Management, where Wood presided most recently as chairman and founder.

How he died does nothing to tarnish the glorious manner in which he lived, Davis says, but it does make losing him more difficult.

"He would never do this to hurt anybody. He would do it only if he felt they were better without him," he explains. "I mean, this is not in his nature at all. If he felt like he was hurting anybody, he would never do it. He must have been in such a desperate spot, and felt so alone. And that's what's so sad for us, because we would do anything for him."

A celebration of Wood's life will be held Saturday at the Mississauga Canoe Club from 2 to 5 p.m.

Breaking the Silence: Championing Psychological Help-Seeking in Sport

Re-printed from http://sirc.ca/blog/breaking-silence-championing-psychological-help-seeking-sport

Author: Zarina A. Giannone, M.A., Wednesday, March 7, 2018 - 09:00

Sometimes it seems like athletes have magical powers. As they plunge in the water and soar in the air, it can feel as though they are invincible. Their physical superiority, focused demeanour, and competitive spirit often radiate confidence and strength, influencing us to believe that they possess superhuman qualities. While they experience the throes of victory and the despairs of loss, we must remember that athletes are humans, too.

Athletes are typically perceived as young, healthy, and free from mental health challenges (Dean & Rowan, 2014). However, athletes often develop in a context which denies their capacity to feel pain and experience emotional vulnerability. Traditional sport contexts prioritize personal qualities such as fortitude and grit, beyond athletes’ abilities to cope with and seek help for mental health challenges. Due to a culture that perpetuates the perception of the “mentally tough athlete”, sport participants may feel discouraged from seeking assistance with psychological concerns as the very act of help-seeking may threaten their sense of strength and competence (Giannone, Kealy, & Ogrodniczuk, 2017). With mounting research evidence indicating that athletes are at a heightened risk for distress and psychological disturbance (Giannone, Haney, Kealy, & Ogrodniczuk, 2017), we, the sport community, must do our part to encourage athletes to speak up about their experiences with mental health challenges, both within and beyond the sport setting.

Below are a few ways in which we can help empower athletes to break the silence:

Communicate your care and concern for the athlete. Let the athlete know that you are there for him/her unconditionally.

Listen intently and withhold your judgement. Be as patient and supportive as possible.

Normalize the process. Remind the athlete that we are all human and that sometimes we all require help from other people.

Acknowledge that stigma exists. Ask if there is anything you can do to help empower him/her to connect with a professional.

Praise their decision to get help and continue to offer your support throughout the therapy process.

If the athlete is showing imminent risk or distress, call 9-1-1. Stay with the athlete until he/she receives the help they need.

Get Connected

Clinical and counselling psychologists in Canada can play an integral role in the prevention and treatment of mental health problems with athlete populations. Extending beyond a focus on mental performance, registered psychologists have the professional training and clinical skills to help athletes learn to cope more effectively with psychological issues, as well as overcome mental health problems.   Practicing psychologists treat a wide variety of problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, relationships, life transitions, eating disorders, addictions) using an assortment of evidence-based psychotherapies to help athletes improve their lives. They are also qualified to administer and interpret a number of psychological tests and assessments that can help diagnose a condition or uncover how an athlete thinks, feels, and behaves. If you believe an athlete may benefit from working with a psychologist or another mental health professional, we encourage you to help them get the support they need. In doing so, you are assisting athletes in championing the stigma related to psychological help-seeking in sport.

John Wood -- Reprinted from Larry Cain's Blog

Reprinted from Larry Cain's Blog John Wood (1950 – 2013)

TUESDAY, 29 JANUARY 2013

The other day I got the sad news that a great inspiration and role model John Wood, had passed away suddenly. Shocked, stunned, shattered…any of those words could describe the way I felt upon hearing the news. When you have a childhood hero he’s larger than life, and you just assume he’ll be there forever. The last few days I can’t stop thinking of the gaping hole his family must be facing, and the loss that so many others are feeling – from the entire Canadian paddling and Olympic communities to his many business associates and many, many friends. John was a guy who I always found was easy to talk to and quick to have a laugh. Obviously his accomplishments in canoeing made a huge impression on me, but the depth of his knowledge on a wide variety of things and the opinions he’d form from that knowledge always made an impression as well. I’m sure he made a similar impression on everyone in his life. To say he’ll be missed seems like such a pathetic understatement.

John Wood

1976 Olympic Silver Medallist in C1

John put Canadian canoe/kayak on his back in the 1970’s and pulled it out of a 24-year medal shutout at the Olympics when he reached the podium in the C1 500m at the 1976 Games in Montreal. I can clearly remember being a young paddler and watching that race on TV with my parents, then turning to them and saying,“that’s what I want to do.” The cool thing was that after he retired with a silver medal in the C2 500m at the 1977 World Championships with Gregg Smith, he settled in Oakville and paddled at our club. He was around regularly and always willing to offer his wisdom and experience to an eager young paddler totally consumed with the idea of following in his footsteps. I had great coaching from first Bill Collins and then Jim Reardon, and great role models and training partners like Brian Bliss who all played their part and, thankfully, were there as steadying influences after my dad died when I was 16. But it was John that was the inspiration. He’d shown what was possible. He’d reached the pinnacle and done what Canadian paddlers hadn’t been able to do for an entire generation. And he was a regular guy who just enjoyed paddling on the river for the sake of paddling itself. That was so cool.

I had to race against a lot of other great paddlers from all parts of the country to make it to the Junior Worlds and later the World Championships and Olympics. How fortunate was I to have John in my corner? With no exaggeration I can say that if I hadn’t had the relationship I developed with guys like Bill, Jim and John I wouldn’t have realized my own Olympic dreams and, if you want to take it a step further, wouldn’t have found dragon boat, outrigger and stand up paddling and all the unbelievable experiences and friendships paddling has given, and continues to give me.

2012 Olympic Send-OffJohn, me, Steve Giles 

John Wood Inspired Generations Of Paddlers

Reprinted from Canadian Sport Institute

January 29th, 2013

John Wood never hesitated to help a fellow paddler.

“He’d talk to anyone,” said Jim Reardon, who knew Wood since they teenagers and trained with him at McMaster University leading up to the 1972 Olympics in Munich. “If John was paddling by, he’d offer tips or words of encouragement, and he’d do that for anybody.”

But you would have to get up pretty early in the morning to benefit from the advice of the Olympic silver medallist. The Oakville resident would arrive at the Burloak Canoe Club, paddle for as many as 10-kilometres and be hauling his canoe out of the water as many of the athletes — most of them half his age — were arriving for their early-morning workouts. Then it was off to work for Wood, who built a successful career as a stockbroker and was the president of the 20/20 Group.

Wood died by suicide last Wednesday. The family said that by acknowledging the cause of death of the 62-year-old, they hope it might encourage others suffering from mental illness to seek help.

“We’re all very devastated,” said Reardon, the past commodore of Burloak, where Wood had served as a director. “John was a cheerful, upbeat kind of guy. This was a shock to us all.”

Wood competed at three Olympics, winning his silver in the C-1 500-metre (canoe single) in Montreal in 1976, a medal Reardon said he earned “by dogged determination.”

Dean Oldershaw also trained alongside Wood prior to the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, though as a kayaker, he said he fortunately never had to race against him.

“I thought I was a hard worker but when we would train I'd see his back most of the time when we were running or cross-country skiing,” Oldershaw said. “He was an inspiration to be around and I know he made me train harder.”

Wood was a member of the Mississauga Canoe Club during his competitive career but joined the Burloak Canoe Club after settling in Oakville. Oldershaw, credited Wood with being a role model for younger athletes who helped pave the way for other Canadian Olympians such as Larry Cain and Steve Giles. (Wood was doing colour commentary for CBC when Cain won gold and silver at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984).

Forty years after he first competed at the Olympics, Wood’s influence was still being felt. Adam van Koeverden, a four-time Olympic medallist in kayak who, like Wood, has competed at three Summer Games, called Wood “a builder of Canadian sport” who not only accomplished a lot as an athlete but also was willing to share his time, expertise and stories with young competitors.

“John was so much more than just a guy who went to the Olympics and got a medal,” van Koeverden said. “He was a guy who embraced that lifestyle and that eagerness to be on the water regardless of the weather. He had a lifetime commitment to sport and health and fitness.”

At an Olympics where Canada was shut out in gold, Wood delivered the top finish by the host country, one of the five silvers earned by Canadian athletes in Montreal. It was also the first Olympic medal for a Canadian canoeist in 24 years.

“It taught the athletes in canoe and kayak in North America that it was possible to win an Olympic medal against the Soviets and the other Eastern Bloc countries,” said Mac Hickox, Wood’s coach from 1973 through 1976. “It was a breakthrough moment.”

The Canadian Olympic Committee called Wood “a trailblazer in the sport of canoeing. John’s passion as a paddler not only fuelled his own success, but also led him to serve as an example to others in his sport.”

Wood, a member of both the Mississauga and Oakville Sports Hall of Fame, finished seventh in the C-2 in Montreal and the following year won a silver medal in the same event with Greg Smith at the world championships.

Though he retired from paddling shortly after, Wood found himself climbing atop the podium again after earning a bronze medal in sailing at the Pan American Games in Puerto Rico in 1979.

“He was a very talented athlete,” Reardon said. “He was a good runner, a good swimmer. I think he would have excelled at whatever he did.”

Hickox, who maintained a lifelong friendship, said Wood’s tremendous work ethic extended from his canoeing days into other walks of life, including golf, sailing, business and a multitude of other pursuits.

“That was such a characteristic of John,” Hickox said. “He had such a sense of determination, almost to the point of being able to block everything out.”

"It was my honour to have known him and not just on race day," said Oldershaw.

“He was a down-to-earth guy,” Reardon said. “He was a friend to everybody.”

Wood is survived by his wife Debbie, sons Jason, Michael and Alan and daughter Jenny.

A celebration of Wood’s life will be held Saturday at the Mississauga Canoe Club from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

John Wood Captured Silver Medal In Canoeing Singles At 1976 Montreal Olympics

DICK LOEK / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

John Wood proudly shows off his silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The Canadian canoeing great died on Jan. 23 at age 62.

Reprinted from the Toronto Star

By: Daniel Girard Sports reporter, Published on Mon Jan 28 2013

John Wood did more than win a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

By finishing just 34/100ths of a second behind Alexandre Rogov of the Soviet Union in the 500-metre canoeing singles, he offered hope to paddlers across the continent that the dominance of the Eastern Bloc could be challenged.

“It taught the athletes in canoe and kayak in North America that it was possible to win an Olympic medal against the Soviets and the other Eastern Bloc countries,” Mac Hickox, his coach from 1973 through 1976, said in an interview Monday.

“It was a breakthrough moment.”

Wood, who paddled out of the Mississauga Canoe Club, won the first canoe medal for Canada since 1952. He also captured another silver in the two-man 500 metres with partner Greg Smith at the 1977 world championships.

Wood’s was one of five silver medals and six bronze Canada won at the Montreal Games.

In 1979, Wood won a bronze medal in sailing at the Pan Am Games.

Wood, who continued to paddle even after retiring from competition and went on to have a successful business career, died by suicide last week.

The family said that by acknowledging the cause of death of the 62-year-old, they hope it might encourage others suffering from mental illness to seek help.

Adam van Koeverden, a four-time Olympic medallist in kayak who, like Wood, has competed at three Summer Games, called Wood “a builder of Canadian sport” who not only accomplished a lot as an athlete but also was willing to share his time, expertise and stories with young competitors.

“John was so much more than just a guy who went to the Olympics and got a medal,” van Koeverden said in an interview. “He was a guy who embraced that lifestyle and that eagerness to be on the water regardless of the weather.

“He had a lifetime commitment to sport and health and fitness,” said van Koeverden, recalling him as an early-morning 10-kilometre paddler at the Burloak Canoe Club in Oakville, where Wood lived.

Dean Oldershaw, who competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics in kayak, said he trained with Wood as often as he could in those years.

“I saw his back a lot,” he joked. “Fortunately, I didn’t have to race him.

“He worked harder than anyone I ever trained with or anyone I’ve ever coached. John was just such a competitor and he was like that on race day too, but it was hard work that got him there.”

Hickox, who maintained a lifelong friendship with Wood, said that tremendous work ethic extended from his canoeing days into other walks of life, including golf, sailing, business and a multitude of other pursuits.

“That was such a characteristic of John,” Hickox said. “He had such a sense of determination, almost to the point of being able to block everything out.”

A celebration of Wood’s life will be held Saturday at the Mississauga Canoe Club from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Mississauga News: Nobody Worked Harder Than John Wood

Reprinted from The Mississauga News article by cclay@mississauga.net

Mississauga News Photo by Fred Loek

Not many will forget John Wood's performance at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Wood, a long-time member of the Mississauga Canoe Club, rose to international prominence after winning a silver medal in canoeing. It marked the first time in 24 years, since the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, that Canada had received a medal in canoe. 

He just missed out on gold in the C-1 500 metre individual race, finishing 34/100th of a second behind first place finisher Alexandre Rogov of the Soviet Union.

Wood died suddenly on Wednesday. He was 62.

Dean Oldershaw, a kayaker who's currently a coach at the Mississauga Canoe Club, trained with Wood prior to the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. He can't forget just how hard Wood worked to get his body ready for competition with the best in the world.

"He wasn't a natural athlete but he was the hardest worker I've ever seen," said Oldershaw. "I thought I was a hard worker but when we would train I'd see his back most of the time when we were running or cross-country skiing." 

"He was an inspiration to be around and I know he made me train harder," he continued.

Despite all his athletic success, Wood wasn't the type of guy to let it go to his head. Judy Tutty, a long-time member of the Mississauga Canoe Club, said Wood always had time to chat with younger athletes and acted as a mentor to many of them.

Tutty said he was a legend in the sport. Even when his competitive paddling days were over, he gave back to the sport in a variety of ways including serving as director of the Burloak Canoe Club as well as investment committee chair for both Canadian Olympic Foundation and Canadian Olympic Association.

Tutty, who joined the canoe club in 1972, said she is saddened by his loss. 

"He was far, far too young," said Tutty. "The whole canoeing community is in shock right now. I was just beside myself when I heard."

Oldershaw, meanwhile, credited Wood with being a role model for other Canadian Olympics canoeists such as Larry Cain and Steve Giles.

Wood also competed in the two-men race at the Montreal Olympics, finishing seventh. He represented Canada three times at the Olympics, including Mexico City in 1968 and Munich in 1972.

Wood won another silver medal in the two-men 500 metres with partner Greg Smith at the 1977 World Championships and retired from canoeing soon after. However, he wasn't done with sport and won a bronze medal in sailing at the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico.

He also served as a canoe commentator on the CBC and covered the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

He's a member of both the Mississauga and Oakville Sports Halls of Fame.

Once his athletic days were over, he went on to enjoy a successful career as a stockbroker and served as president of the 20/20 Group. He's also chairman and founder of Bellwether Investment Management.

Wood, who had been living in Oakville, is survived by his wife Debbie, three sons and daughter.

"It was my honour to have known him and not just on race day," said Oldershaw.

A celebration of Woods' life will take place at the Mississauga Canoe Club on Sat. Feb. 2 from 2-5pm.

cclay@mississauga.net

CanoeKayak Canada Sadly Announces Passing Of A Great Athlete And Friend

Reprinted from the CKC Website

OTTAWA, ON – CanoeKayak Canada sadly announces the passing of a great athlete and friend. John Wood of Oakville, ON has died suddenly at the age of 62.

DICK LOEK / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

John Wood proudly shows off his silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. 

The Canadian canoeing great died on Jan. 23 at age 62.

Wood won a silver medal for Canada in the C1 500 metre event at the 1976 Montréal Olympic Games. In addition to the excitement of medalling on home water, his podium finish put an end to Canada’s twenty-four year medal drought in CanoeKayak events at the Olympic Games. Wood also competed at the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games in singles and the tandem events with his partner, Scott Lee. At the 1977 World Championships, he won a Silver medal in the C2 500 metre event with his partner, Greg Smith.

Last July, Wood joined past medalists Larry Cain, Alwyn Morris and Steve Giles at a send-off event for CKC’s Olympic athletes and offered words of inspiration to the team. Wood was Patron of CanoeKayak Canada and has been a supporter of several canoe clubs and charities.

He will be remembered fondly by the paddling community and all those who knew him.

Paddles Up! -- Reprinted from Steve Giles' Blog

Reprinted from Steve Giles' Blog

Paddles Up!

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Steve

John Wood has died.

I was four years old when John Wood stood on the podium at the Montreal Olympics and accepted his silver medal for the C-1 500m.  I did not watch the race, I do not remember the race.  In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing John Wood race a canoe.  However, he is a legend in our sport and he was an inspiration to me at every stage of my athletic career.

When I was 8 or 9 years old I was introduced to canoeing through this video.  Watch it.

This video influenced my entire outlook on sport.  The words that I tried to live by my whole life were the first words I heard John speak:

“The thing that I like most about paddling in a race is winning…but that’s not necessarily what I enjoyed most about paddling”

Throughout my early racing career there were lots of role models and heroes for me to follow.  Larry Cain, came to Orenda in 1984 and inspired us with his medals from Los Angeles.  Tony Hall inspired us as  young athletes to strive to be the best.  Renn Crichlow showed me that Canadians can indeed be the best in the world in canoe (or kayak).  But through it all was the legend of John Wood.  He who had almost beaten the mighty Eastern Bloc, who had come within inches of claiming Gold for Canada at home.  I had never met him, never seen him race and so he was even more of a legend than all of the others.

The first time I actually saw John Wood he was standing with Larry Cain on the top of the hill at Rideau.  I was 13 or 14 and I remember thinking how cool it was that two Olympic medalists were standing there together.  I wouldn’t get a chance to meet John for almost two decades, and only briefly at a barbecue in Florida.  I had a medal of my own, but was still in awe of John and I could not bring myself to tell him what an inspiration he had been for me.

Another decade went by before I met John again.  It was last summer at a special gathering to send off our team to London.  I did tell him then what an inspiration he had been to me, and how I still watched him in Paddles Up! and I still got goose bumps.  

I heard him speak of his race that day, and was again inspired.  He was still passionate about the sport, seemed to really enjoy sharing that passion with today’s crop of elite canoers.  I took a souvenir that day that I will always cherish:

John Wood, Larry Cain, Steve Giles

I wish that I had known John better.  I am sure that he was a special man.  I am also sure that there was much more to him than an Olympic silver medal.  But to me he will always be the legend, and in the sport of canoeing he will be missed.

John Wood -- Reprinted From Tom Hall's Blog

Reprinted From Tom Hall's Blog

John Wood

Posted on January 25, 2013 by tomhall

A member of the Canadian sprint canoe kayak family died yesterday. I didn’t know John Wood very well, but he was kind and encouraging to a younger me, and sincere is his congratulations after Beijing. I wrote a piece about legacies after Mark Oldershaw won his Olympic medal, and John will always be an important part of the canoe legacy in Canada.

Another important part of that legacy is Steve Giles; who had a profound influence on my generation of canoers and kayakers. Steve wrote this blog about John, I encourage you to read it and watch the video.

Young paddlers racing this year, whether for world championship titles or peewee glory, are building on what has happened before. We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, each adding something to the community.

John inspired generations of paddlers and his legend will continue to inspire for years to come.