10 Things We Learnt From Liam Heath MBE Olympic Canoeist

With a gold and silver from Rio Liam Heath explains his love of canoeing.

CANOE SPRINTER LIAM HEATH won two medals at the Rio Olympics, to add to his bronze at London. In the K2 200m, paddling with team mate Jon Schofield, the pair raced to a silver medal. Heath then went one better in the individual K1 200m, racing to gold. He also has five gold European Championship medals and another five World Championship medals. Yet, his success nearly never happened, however, after he gave up the sport at university. He was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s 2017 New Year Honours for services to canoeing.

01 When I was finishing my degree, in industrial design and technology, I decided after having appendicitis to give paddling a break and focus on my studies.

After that finished I started thinking about where I wanted to go, and at about the same time the 200m was announced as an Olympic canoeing discipline. London 2012 was the first time the event had been included. I have always been fairly quick in a boat over short distances, so I just went for it.

02 We paddle at Dorney Lake, home of the 2012 Olympics and at Bisham, which has great access to the Thames, so we have a great choice between paddling up the river and the lake. You’re waking up as the wildlife around you is waking up, and you really appreciate the scenery. I head back to my club occasionally as well and paddle up and down the River Wey. There are so many rivers and waterways within the UK where you can jump in and have a paddle.