Angus Mortimer
It’s hard to believe that when he started paddling at age 10 Angus Mortimer was scared of the water. In fact, he was the only one in his group that use to wear a life jacket (back then it wasn’t mandatory), when he was in his boat.
Today, Mortimer is one of the fastest rising stars in Canadian paddling and a strong candidate to be on the 2012 Olympic team. This season he has enjoyed success in both the K-1 and K-2 events with Steve Jorums. In the K-1 he emerged as an international threat on the World Cup circuit which was highlighted by a bronze medal in the 500-metres in Duisburg, Germany. However with the K-1 world spot already locked up, Mortimer formed a partnership with Jorums and the pair snared the world team spot in the K-2 1,000-metre at the national team trials.
“My progress has been really exciting this year,” said Mortimer, currently a fourth year music student at Carleton University in Ottawa. “I think the racing experience I’ve acquired has really helped. I try to race as much as I can. I go to regattas every weekend and I learn something every time I’m on the line.”
Mortimer’s brother Ian Mortimer is also a national team member and his sister Lucy is the head coach at the Cascade Club in Gatineau, Que., which is their home club. His mother is also a Masters paddler.
Despite his initial fear of the water, Mortimer stuck with the sport drawn by the dream to one day compete at the Olympic Games.
He says he was always obsessed with times even recording the clockings he and his brother posted while racing on their bikes on streets as youngsters.
Mortimer has competed at all three Mazda CanoeKayak Knockout events so far and particularly enjoys the excitement of racing on live televeision.
Contact Lorraine Lafreniere at CKC to add your name to the growing list llafreniere@canoekayak.ca
