More than a decade ago a national canoe/kayak athlete by the name of Jimmy Owens was training hard while working building roofs.  The promising Queensland Academy of Sport paddler loved the building game but was struggling to perform in the boat.

“I was continually sick and not getting that motivation to push forward in the boat,” Owens said. With that, a sea change loomed.

“My coach at the time offered me a coaching job with Queensland Talent Search and from there I picked up a few athletes in Brisbane.”

Then in his late twenties, Owens spent a year coaching young paddlers in Brisbane before he was charged with the task of coaching a somewhat juvenile lad called Ken Wallace.

“Kenny was on the Gold Coast without a coach. They said ‘he is a wild kid- you’ve got to go and fix him’. So we formed a relationship and then I think they had two wild people – one athlete, one coach!”

After moving to the Gold Coast, Owens remembers building a relationship with Wallace based on hard work, trust and a love of renovating.

“I used to be in the roofing game, building and the like, so Kenny would always ring me to come and do all his hard labour – I am not sure if that is a good thing,” Owens fondly recalls.

“Like Kenny, like myself, and like most males in Australia we loved spending money at Bunnings. We could shop those aisles for hours on end!”

Owens and Wallace continued to work hard together, helped renovate one-another’s houses, and fulfilled many of their goals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing when Wallace won gold and bronze medals.

“We got through the seven year hump and got the results in Beijing. The medals Kenny won there meant a lot to me as a coach. To see him come across the line first was really rewarding. I couldn’t be happier and it is probably one of the most satisfying experiences I will have as a coach,” Owens said.

Leading to London Owens is coaching the senior men’s crews for the K1, K2 and K4 1000m at the Australian Institute of Sport and is excited by their prospects at the 2012 Olympic Games.

“There are a lot of guys in the men’s group performing to a great standard now. Our whole men’s team has lifted and I think 2012 will be a really exciting year,” Owens said.

Owens has observed an array of talented Australian paddlers who are experienced, determined and achieving great results at the senior international events.

At the recent canoe sprint world championships in Szeged, the kayaking quartet of Jake Clear, Tate Smith, Murray Stewart and David Smith stamped their mark on the K4 1000m, finishing with the silver medal.
Owens predicts a few will really challenge Wallace at the Games.

“It is a real good dynasty for the boys. We have got Jacob Clear who went to the 2008 Olympic Games for his very first national senior team. He has moved through 2009, 2010 nicely and consistently made the top 5 in A Finals at the World Championships.

“Then there is Murray Stewart, who will really push Kenny over these next couple of years and is definitely one to watch. He is young, he is strong and he is talented. We have to tap into that raw ability he has and harness it a bit more as he is a quality guy who has got medallist material written on him.

“David Smith is the same – a great team boat paddler.” Owens said.

The coach is curious to see how the new Olympic event- the 200m sprint- will take place in London and then develop with time. He predicts athletes will begin to specialise in either the shorter or longer sprints.

“It is going to be interesting. The 200m has been in the world championship program for a number of years and now that it is in the Olympic program we have to take it more seriously. Over time we shall see the event improve out of sight.

“In the future athletes will concentrate either on the 1000m or the shorter stuff. At the moment for Kenny, he is able to mix with both like a few others, but I think there will be a general shift where athletes will pick and choose between the two distances.”

When comparing the results from the Beijing cycle with the London cycle, Owens could not be happier with how his athletes are performing.

“I am really proud of the way the men have been working together, which is a credit to them, and their ability to move through the crew boats and handle the world championship stage.

“Over the last three years we have constantly been getting medals, top fives and top sixes. Looking back at our cycle in 2005, 2006 and 2007 we did not have any medals in that period.

“Up to now in this new cycle leading into 2012 we have quite a few World Championship medals and at the World Cups we have been doing a good job.

“These guys are young, they‘re keen and they’re hungry. 2012 is going to be a good age for them because they will be older and stronger and fitter and wiser. I am really looking forward to this cycle.”

Frances Cordaro
AOC