After Much thought and consideration I have chosen to retire from competitive canoe/kayak after 15 years.  I am extremely excited to be taking up a new role within the community, as Alberta's High Performance Coach.

I began writing a long Thank You to everyone who has ever helped me in this sport but I didn’t feel I could really cover everyone and everything you have all done for me.  So to everyone I’ve met along the way Thank You!

The Home Depot, BMO Nesbitt Burns (Ottawa), Valley Laser Eye Center, and several private donors have been wonderful contributor to my journey as an athlete.  Thank you.

Of course a Big thank you to my family is in order.  They have supported me from the start, in pursuing this crazy passion of mine.   

I have had so many coaches who have helped me race faster and have improved who I am.  Thank you.  Shaun Pierce (still my sounding board on many issues); Jiri Prskvec (for making our short C2 career enjoyable); Roy Sharplin (and all the parents in Alberta who drove me to Kananaskis on weekends to train); Vincent Redon; Larry Norman; and others, have all been inspirational to me and have contributed to my success as a person.     

Keith Klapstein said it best. ‘it is the friends I will remember most’.  I have been incredibly lucky to have traveled all over the world, with a great group of people all of whom agree that paddling fast down a river is an important way to spend our time.  I will miss our crazy road trips to Spain listening to ridiculous Spanish music.  Driving windy alpine roads and snowball fights in the Alps and Pyrenees.  Getting out of traffic tickets in the ‘east’.  Around Australia on, and off motorbikes.  Dashes south to Charlotte and California.  Kebabs, swimming late at night in the ice canal, Ramblas, Euro Sport/Tour de France, watching Slovakia ‘grow up’, Tom’s cabin, Nice, going to airports with ‘river boards’, Bandit tour, the occasional rainy day in Chilliwack,  etc…

 A Huge Thank you Tom for the last six Months of training in C2.  I've learned more about myself and the sport in that period than any other year.  It was a wonderful experience to have shared with you.  Good luck with your own goals and keep pumping out Canadian made slalom boats.

Through this whole process I’ve met so many wonderful people, from all over the world, all of whom have had an impact on my life, especially my wife Lina.  You are all welcome at our houses any time, and I warn you, Lina and I will probably drop by sometime in the near future.

To everyone racing: good luck this year and going forward.