I was basically born with a paddle in my hands

By Liam Fisher

Back to where it all began. I was basically born with a paddle in my hands.

My dad was an Olympic gold medalist in sprint kayaking, a tremendously physical sport that balances strength, power and finnesse into the narrowest of boats! Before I could walk he used to put me on his lap and take me out paddling. By the time I was in school you bet I was out on the water myself. By 14, I was racing competitivley and not long after that was making development squads heading down to California and Florida for winter training camps.

Happy Father's day to this beast! #HugeFisher #OG

A post shared by L I A M (@fitlikefisher) on Jun 19, 2016 at 10:48am PDT

In grade 11 & 12 I spent part of my school year and summers out in Oakville Ontario training at the Burloak Canoe Club with some of best paddlers in the world Adam van Koeverden, Mark Oldershaw, and many more. Paddling took me across the world to train at the Australian institute of sport with even more taleneted paddlers from around the world. Paddling taught me so much about discipline, training, nutrition, perseverance, not to mention made some life long friends, whadup Mariane Fraser Bernadette Wallace, Chris A., Dion Maxwell, that I wouldn’t be in the place I am today without it. But the other reason for that, that I don’t often share is that for a long time I resented kayaking.

Taking a little roadie out here in a few for a few. Who wants to come? #roadtrip #cabincountry #beautifulbc

A post shared by L I A M (@fitlikefisher) on Jul 3, 2018 at 1:46pm PDT

I felt that everything I accomplished in the sport was due more to who my dad was rather than my own merit. I remember being at races and instead of announcing my name they would anounce, in lane two we have son of Hugh Fisher, Olympic gold medalist, and set out this huge expectation that I must be able to do well as it was in my genes.

Thinking about taking a trip back to the cabin sometime soon who wants to come? #tbt ps. Did you know the colour of Lilloet lake changes throughout the year depending on how much silt is in the water?

A post shared by L I A M (@fitlikefisher) on Feb 22, 2018 at 7:24pm PST

We’ll those announcers must have missed physiology class, because genetic recombinance doesn’t quite work like that. I’d question weather I deserved spots on a team or if I had been given it due to my last name. It litteraly took me changing directions and jumping over to the dark side as a varsity rower at UVic Men’s Rowing, to feel like I had finally defined myself as an athlete. It took me a long time to get over that and fall back in love with the sport I grew up with.

I don’t get out often anymore but when I do, it takes me back to a simpler time, when all I was concerned with was my catch interupting the stillness of the lake.

Back to where it all began. I was basically born with a paddle in my hands. My dad was an Olympic gold medalist in sprint kayaking, a tremendously physical sport that balances strength, power and finnesse into the narrowest of boats! Before I could walk he used to put me on his lap and take me out paddling. By the time I was in school you bet I was out on the water myself. By 14, I was racing competitivley and not long after that was making development squads heading down to California and Florida for winter training camps. In grade 11 & 12 I spent part of my school year and summers out in Oakville Ontario training @burloakcanoeclub with some of best paddlers in the world @avankoeverden, @markoldershaw, and many more. Paddling took me across the world to train at the Australian institute of sport with even more taleneted paddlers from around the world. Paddling taught me so much about discipline, training, nutrition, perseverance, not to mention made some life long friends, whadup @marianefraser @bernadettewallace @wings_mcgee @dion_xm, that I wouldn't be in the place I am today without it. But the other reason for that, that I don't often share is that for a long time I resented kayaking. I felt that everything I accomplished in the sport was due more to who my dad was rather than my own merit. I remember being at races and instead of announcing my name they would anounce, in lane two we have son of Hugh Fisher, Olympic gold medalist, and set out this huge expectation that I must be able to do well as it was in my genes. We'll those announcers must have missed physiology class, because genetic recombinance doesn't quite work like that. I'd question weather I deserved spots on a team or if I had been given it due to my last name. It litteraly took me changing directions and jumping over to the dark side as a varsity rower at uvic @vikes_mrowing, to feel like I had finally defined myself as an athlete. It took me a long time to get over that and fall back in love with the sport I grew up with. I don't get out often anymore but when I do, it takes me back to a simpler time, when all I was concerned with was my catch interupting the stillness of the lake.

A post shared by L I A M (@fitlikefisher) on Apr 3, 2018 at 8:27pm PDT