Nick Harding | @nickhdg | Sportscene - In the first of our new Legends series, Sportscene talks to Ivan Lawler (GBR), multiple marathon World Champion, 1-time K2 10,000m sprint World Champion and participant in 3 Olympic Games from the late 80's to the end of the 90's.

Born in Surrey, UK, Ivan was born into a family where his mother, father and uncle were heavily involved in canoeing. He did try his hand at football but felt that the always available kayaking was more suited to him.

His progress was slow, he wasn't the biggest of children yet this was also an advantage, he focused on the technical side of paddling which set him up for the rest of his career.

“When you are slow you learn to ride washes pretty quickly as it is the only way to keep up. I was never good enough to make an U18 Worlds Team but came good when my junior days were over. I had a lot more success in the longer distance events where brain was as important as muscle!”

Career highlights:

* When Ivan was racing marathon, the championships were only every second year so the opportunity to amass wins was somewhat restricted.

In the 1990 worlds, Ivan and his partner were presented with a UNESCO accolade; 'The Pierre de Coubertin Award for Fair Play', after an incident in the race.

I think the current 'do anything needed to win' attitude in marathon racing needs a reminder that it is not all about winning.

Nowadays

Currently Ivan is Chairman of his old racing club Elmbridge Canoe Club and runs his own business Ultimate Kayaks as a key wholesaler and retailer of Nelo and Epic kayak products, as well as being an osteopath for his main job.

He still paddles for pleasure a few times a week at Elmbridge and admits getting annoyed when he occasionally lacks coordination! Nowadays Ivan has turned his attention to surfski – a new challenge that has rekindled the fun he has in paddling.

As for elite competition he still thinks about it:
“I do miss elite competition and sometimes find myself getting jealous of those who are still competing. Competition at any level teaches you so much but is a tough tutor. It is scary at any level and learning to control your fears and make the most of whatever talent you have is a great feeling. Sadly you are only ever a guest at the top end of sport, when your stay is over it is over and that is another lesson you have to learn.”

Proudest moment and haunting memories

“With hindsight the highlight of my career was just being able to compete against and make friends with some great people. Results become less important with age, it is more the overall experience that has been the real benefit of a life in sport.

If I had to pick a race or result then probably my first World Championship victory in K2 10,000m with Grayson Bourne in 1990 would have to be up there, not necessarily for the result but just that it is rare to have a race in which you do nothing wrong.

On a par with that would be the last ever 10K Worlds in 1993, despite crying when I finished 4th, it was then that I really believed I was a World Class paddler.”

Ivan loved 10K racing the most, he was very disappointed when it was removed from the programme shortly after. He was always brought up to value the performance rather than the result; his fondest memories are from many races where the results would suggest otherwise.

Everyone has bad races but there is always a positive to take from them so they become part of the learning process. Once you have taken the lesson from a bad race I think that race is mentally incinerated so no I have no memories of bad races!

"I think my biggest regret was competing for the last two championships when I knew that I no longer really wanted to race and no longer had the desire. At the time it seemed worth doing to keep a small income coming in, but competing without pride is impossible.”

London 2012

“In kayak/canoe it had to be our men’s 200m team; 2 medals from 2 events with one of those being gold is phenomenal. Alex Nikonorov did a great job with the team and it looks like they will all continue to work towards Rio.

I am sure they are under no illusion that it will be a tough journey, but good athletes working with good coaches is the best guarantee you can have. There is a lot of improvement to be made in our team before Rio though and qualifying without 'home nation' places is going to be tough. 

Overall I think we [Britain] were very proud of our home games, so whatever spectacle Rio will put on in 3 years time, we will still think London was the best Olympics yet!”

Elmbridge and the future

Elmbridge has been one of the most successful canoe clubs in the world with over 40 World and Olympic medals on its honours board.

Paddlers include:

• Dr Tim Brabants – Beijing gold K1 1000m and bronze K1 500m, Sydney bronze K1 1000m, 2007 K1 1000m World Champion
• Anna Hemmings – six-time marathon World Champion including home golds in K1W and K2W in 2001, appearances at the Beijing and Sydney Olympics
• Edward Rutherford – 2008 World Champion, K1 and K2
• Louisa Sawyers – double 2006 World Champion, K1 and K2
• Ben Brown – 4th 2013 European Championship, 2003 Junior World Champion, 2010 World Champion
• [very recently] Rebeka Simon – silver in Junior K1W 500m at 2013 Junior Sprint World Championships, Welland

Elmbridge is run entirely by dedicated volunteers who give up their time and make a lot of effort for the good of the club. Ivan volunteered to become Chairman when the post became vacant. “I love the club and everything it stands for so I will always be around”

With its rich heritage on the world and international scene since its birth in the mid eighties, Elmbridge is producing some of the best youngsters in the country, Ivan is adamant about future medal hopes:

“It is always hard to see where the next talent will come from but it always comes! The club runs a consistent programme that has produced more world-class athletes than any other club in the country. The system works mainly due to the relentless commitment of our Head coach Roland Lawler. We currently have some very good Junior girls and a couple of young guys who could go far. All the kids have to do is see the opportunity and run with it!”

As for Ben Brown too, Ivan is full of praise.  

“He is a very talented athlete. With someone like that they can pretty much achieve whatever they want to achieve. Ben is fast enough to be in our sprint team and is one of the best K2 paddlers I have ever paddled with, he is the best marathon paddler we have had for a long time and has the ability to win again if he puts his mind to it. Throw him into surfski and I have no doubt he would be our best paddler there also!”

Ben is a role model inspiring youngsters to grow in the sport. Ivan outlines though that, like all marathon paddlers in the UK, life has not been easy for Ben:

“Support from the sport is non existent as he chose to leave the sprint system where the funding is. Ben opted out as he did not enjoy the way the system restricted his paddling opportunities. With hindsight he made the right decision and has carved out a niche in the kayak world which has given him a lot of reward and a lot of self-satisfaction. Many of his contemporaries who took the dollar have long since disappeared from the sport with nothing to show from it.”

Ultimate Kayaks and onwards

Nowadays Ivan's company Ultimate Kayaks has grown considerably, he sells for world-leading design and manufacturing brands Nelo and Epic, it also gives him an excuse for spending time around the sport to his family!

“It grew by chance. A good friend of mine was the Nelo dealer in the UK and he asked me to take on the business when he was offered an opportunity elsewhere. Luckily Nelo were happy for me to take on their product for which I was, and am, very grateful.

The Epic side of the business came through me really loving their paddles; I had met Oscar in South Africa so he knew me. Once he knew I liked his paddles he came to me and insisted I sold their whole range, anyone who knows Oscar will understand that the easiest thing to do is agree. It has been a good move for me in that it got me involved with surfski that has rekindled my love of paddling as well as being good business.

I am very proud to be associated with both companies that operate with integrity and honesty.”

...

Sportscene are proud to announce Ivan as one of our canoeing 'Legends' for his almost unbeatable record of winning six distance World Championships and for his continuing service to canoesport through his work at Elmbridge as well as his efforts off the field in the distribution sphere. Congratulations sir!

Links

Ultimate Kayaks: http://www.ultimatekayaks.co.uk/index.asp

Elmbridge Canoe Club: http://elmbridgecanoeclub.com/wordpress/