At what age did you start paddling and how did you become involved in the sport? I started out kayaking in 2005 at the age of 13, in the middle school program, at the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club. In 2006 my coaches, Dave and Devri Robertson, encouraged me to try canoeing. It was definitely the right decision.
Where and when was your first competition, and how did you do? My first competition was the Sprint Canoe/Kayak National championships in 2006 in Georgia. I won the Bantam 1000m and 500m.
What has inspired you to train and compete at an International level? My love of the sport and my commitment to excellence fuels my desire to compete internationally. In this sport, in order to be competitive at the World Championships and to make the Olympic team, I have to compete internationally.
What is your preference - individual or team boats, and why? I enjoy both. I enjoy C1 because of the self-satisfaction and individual accomplishment you experience in a single boat. I enjoy C2 with my current partner, Ian Ross, because of the brotherhood and camaraderie that comes from working and winning in a team boat. Ian and I are both committed to winning and work well together.
What race distance do you prefer, and why? I prefer the 1000m because it is more tactical and my height has given me an advantage in this race.
What has been your biggest accomplishment(s) in the sport? At the Bochum U23 Regatta in the summer of 2012, Ian and I won gold in the 200m C2 and silver in both the 500m and 1000m C2 races.
What is the best advice you have been given and who offered it to you? I have been given a lot of great advice over the years. However, I think the best advice has come from my coach Claudiu Cuir. I have always had a hard time learning to recover from a tough loss. After a particularly tough race day, he told me that I can’t always get upset every time I don’t come in first. I have to learn to move on and focus on the next race.
Tell us about your current training schedule? Describe an average day for you? On a typical Monday, I get up for a 7 am paddle followed by a one hour weight circuit. I have another intense training session on the water at 10 am. After lunch and a short break, I have another training session on the water from 4 to 6 pm. This is followed by a running workout.
What do you do for fun and relaxation? I enjoy reading, watching movies, cooking, playing intramural sports, playing video games and hanging out with my girlfriend.
What would you like to do after your Canoe/Kayak career is over? I plan to continue my studies in physics/engineering. My ultimate dream is to one day become an astronaut.
What is your favorite thing about the sport of Canoe/Kayak? Do you have any special memory that you would like to share? My favorite thing about the sport is the international traveling and the variety of people that I have had the pleasure of meeting. I will always treasure the friends I have made and the experiences I have had abroad. One special memory was at the Junior World Championships in Moscow in 2009. We made friends with some Japanese paddlers and they took a picture of Ian and me with a couple of their athletes. Two years later, at the next Junior Worlds in Germany, the Japanese coach gave the picture to the USA coach to bring back to us. It really meant a lot to have them think enough of us to save that picture for two years and make sure we got it.
What is your dream goal? To one day go to the Olympics and represent the United States with the utmost honor, integrity, and excellence in the sport.