A friend of 40+ years and John's personal
sprint canoe coach ’73 to ‘76
Thank you Deb, Jason, Alan, Mike and
Jenny for allowing all of us to gather here today to “celebrate the life of
John”.
This past week I have had a chance to
share with you some of the stories of my relationship with John that came from
our time together as his both his friend and his coach.
Now I would like to tell you the story
of our journey leading up to that summer of ’76 – so you as his sons, daughter
and relatives plus the others here today that got to meet him after 1976 will
understand that John was an exceptional individual and athlete.
THE BEGINNING
John and I began our journey in 1973 at
the Senior World Championships in Finland. He was competing for the first time
in singles at the Worlds. I was attending as a National Team Coach for the
first time.
At the conclusion of the event John and
I were in our room reflecting on his solid 5th place finish in the 500m C1,
when John asked me to be his coach.
A rather straight forward simple
question on the surface but we both new better!
Some of the considerations:
- This would be a three year commitment – our lives devoted to one goal – deliver a performance to land on the Olympic podium!
- He would be competing in singles – requiring on his part a singular focus!
- This would be his third and final Olympics – his final shot at winning an Olympic medal!
- The ’76 Olympics would be held in Montreal - the first time that Canada had hosted an Olympic Games bringing with it a lot of expectations, attention and the pressure placed on athletes with medal potential that amateur athletes in Canada had not seen before.
- Canadian athletes in sprint canoe/kayak had only won two Olympic medals before – one in ‘36 and one in ‘52 – not a strong legacy of international canoe/kayak excellence.
My answer to his “will you be my coach” question:
“I will be your mirror, I will tell you what I see and
we’ll work it out together”. It was to be a partnership!
NEW FRONTIERS
Our journey to the ’76 Olympic podium, as John and I have
reflected since, was one of “a growing confidence” as we moved through unchartered
waters!
In those days Sport Canada established “Game Plan ‘76” to
target resources towards National Teams and athletes with medal potential. As a
National Team we were trying to do it right yet there wasn’t an Integrated
Science Team as there is today with sports physiologists, a sport psychologist,
sport nutritionist and massage therapist to meet the Team at major camps and
comps. Nor was there a blueprint to follow – John and I would have to create
our own Podium Plan.
John and I formed a support team here in Mississauga –
the Fitness Institute became our training center for strength and conditioning;
John worked with the masseuse at the FI and was tested at the FI. John received
chiropractic care from Dr. Evan Mladenoff, who also became his strength
training partner and close friend.
THE APPROACH
We decided that if John had trained hard before and did
not achieve his Olympic goals then we were going to have to step it up “big
time”. Our training goal was to train harder than everyone!
As Mark Granger, a long-standing National Team Kayak Coach
within Canada said to me in the spring of 2012 – Mac we still do some of those
workouts you and John did! I never asked Mark which ones but I do remember two workouts
in particular – one was 60 km in a single day and the other was a 55km steady
paddle – and this was in a Canoe singles – or C1.
The key ingredient for potential success was John – he
had an insatiable appetite for training! He possessed the ability to focus for
extended periods of time; he could find the intensity required in a particular
workout and be able to sustain it from start to finish; and when it was over we
knew he had given all he had!
TECHNICAL
John had a great “feel for the water”. His paddle would
lock in the water with precision – all connection! He perfected the exit phase
of his stroke to give the boat a second acceleration forward. It was a
breakthrough in canoe technique that is still used today!
ALL IN
John and I moved into 1976 with a strong believe that in
order to move from his annual 5th place finish against the best in
the world he would require full time coaching.
We had our friend at the Mississauga News Mike Toth,
write an article that appeared in the Toronto Star stating “fulltime coaching
or forget the podium”.
Sport Canada agreed and on January 1st we were
all in! No more teaching at Port Credit Secondary until after the Games!
Thank you Mike!
PODIUM PERFORMANCES
The spring of ’76 saw John visit the podium on a regular
basis in Europe. He was gaining confidence! He was now a threat! AND he was now
getting a lot of attention from the media as a solid medal contender. The
pressure was on!
TAKING IT IN STRIDE
John was surrounded by friends here at the Mississauga Canoe
Club – it was a great environment for him to take all of the outside attention
in stride. It was his home away from home! Here he was John or Woody or J or 4th on the right in war canoe! The “coxie” would yell – “John’s got the paddles
everyone else on the boat!” No special treatment here!
PADDLES UP! – THE MOVIEWolf Ruck was an Olympian in ‘68 with John and a
teammate here at Missy. He approached us about doing a movie as we moved
towards the ’76 Olympics. He would try and capture what it was like to be an
athlete training for the Olympic podium and at the same time provide our sport
with a promotional clip.
It turned out to be an award-winning short documentary
and a great tribute to John. Thank you Wolf!
THE OLYMPICS – GO HOME!
It’s difficult to capture the mood in Montreal other than
to say it was two weeks of media frenzy! The Olympic village was a zoo! Some athletes
were just happy to be there! And the rooms were cramped! Too much confusion
left John with very poor sleeps!
John and I decided it would be best for him to catch a
plane back to Mississauga for the first week of the Olympics and fly back for the
canoe events which would occur in the second week – he would get quality sleeps
and be away from all of the hype!
Today it is not unusual for whole teams to stay away from
the Village.
RACE DAY
Normally it is a left wind in Montreal – John was a
right! No wind in the morning / no wind in the afternoon – what caught a break!
LAST WORDS
At the dock as John was ready to push off – I looked at
him and said “Just Do It” – Nike must have had microphones in the area as it
became their motto in the years to come.
HIS LANE
Lane #1 – closest to the grandstand! Listen John everybody
will be cheering for you – they will be in your ear – race your race – tune
them out!
THE RACE
John was without a doubt always the fastest off the
start. Today would be no different. He held the lead until the last 50m when
the Russian pulled ahead. As John said later to me “I don’t remember the last 6
strokes”. He had as in training given everything he had!
At the finish it was too close to call – it appeared as
if he had a medal but he could be fourth! On the podium OR thanks for coming
out!
SILVER MEDAL
On the podium you will see John raise his arm and make a
fist – he had told his masseuse, this would be the signal to acknowledge all of
your support!
After the medal ceremony the two of us sat under the
boats in the boathouse looking at the silver medal with our eyes full with
tears of joy!!! We had done what we had set out to do. We knew we had beaten
powerful programs in Europe and East Germany! And “we had done it squeaky
clean!!!!”
CLOSING CEREMONIES
John was asked to carry Canada’s flag in the closing
ceremonies - a fitting tribute to an outstanding Olympic silver medal performance.
I was at my relatives outside of Montreal watching the
ceremonies on television. I was so proud of him and proud at what we had
accomplished!
It was indeed a breakthrough performance that both Adam
and Larry have stated in their blogs. Greg Barton, Team USA, Gold Medalist in
K1/K2 1000m at the ’88 Olympics told me - “as a teen watching John’s race from
the stands in Montreal, I realized then that I could possibly do the same thing
– John had given hope to all athletes in NA”.
THE THREAD – THE BOND
John and I now had a bond and an enduring friendship forged
from that three year period. We had worked together on a goal that seemed to
many to be improbable – but to John it was a challenge he relished.
Years later we paddled together in C2 at the World
Masters Games; went Alpine skiing in Whistler; Nordic skiing at Hardwood Hills
in Barrie; long rides north and west of Oakville on our road bikes; and
reunited as coach/athlete in dragon boat. It was on those
occasions that others saw our close friendship.
LEGEND
You are hearing a common theme by this crowd gathered
here today; and from reading the tributes paid to your father this week by
those wanting to express their memories – John is an outstanding human being –
easy going; with an engaging smile and a great laugh.
John was honored many years ago and well after the 1976
Olympics as the Patron of Canoe Kayak Canada – the Patron before him was Pierre
Elliot Trudeau.
Thank you again for allowing us the opportunity to share
in the “Celebration of the Life of John Wood” – there is indeed much to
celebrate!
God Bless you Deb, Jason, Alan, Mike and Jenny. God Bless
you John – Rest in Peace my Friend!!!
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