You’ve probably never heard of Michael Tayler, but not many have.
The 20-year-old Carleton student isn’t exactly a household name outside the tight-knit Canadian kayaking community.
However, that’s about to change.
After upsetting five-time Olympian David Ford in the K1 kayak Olympic trials April 13, Tayler has been dubbed the new face of whitewater slalom kayaking in Canada.
The Calgary-born paddler will hit the whitewater at this summer’s 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
Despite this, Tayler said he’s not really feeling any external pressure from friends, family, CanoeKayak Canada, or the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC).
“Everyone’s just so stoked for me to be going,” Tayler said.
Some athletes train their entire lives for a shot at competing in the Olympics. Many never make it. This cruel reality is not lost on the second-year political science student.
“I’m definitely really proud of my accomplishment and feel pretty honoured,” said Tayler, who has been a member of the Ottawa River Runners club the last 11 years. “It’s a pretty special thing to be able to do.”
Since his was introduced to the sport at a kayaking camp in the summer of 2000, Tayler has taken the Canadian kayaking scene by storm. He won five junior national titles and his 13th place finish at the 2010 world junior championship was the best result a Canadian has ever posted at the tournament, according to CanoeKayak Canada.
After moving up to the senior category in 2011, Tayler won the national championship later that year. Finally, Tayler captured Canada’s elusive Olympic berth last month at the Olympic trials in Charlotte, N.C., beating out fellow Ottawa-based kayaker John Hastings by just one-tenth of a second.
Hastings and Tayler have known each other for longer than they can both remember. They train together, travel together, and have developed a close bond over the years.
“He’s been a mentor to me and I look up to him,” Tayler said. “Watching him come down, he had a good race. I didn’t really know what to think.”
Hastings, who graduated from Carleton with a business degree in 2006, said losing to his protégé was bittersweet.
“It’s been a 10-year process for me. I’ve put a lot of energy and time into training and getting to the Olympics, and to lose it by that small a margin is obviously difficult to accept,” Hastings said. “But knowing that Michael’s the one who beat me, it’s something I’m OK with.”
“He’s very fair and he’s very humble and that’s a characteristic that I always look for and admire in people,” Hastings added.
Hastings said he expects Tayler to “wow” at the upcoming Olympics.
“I know he’ll do something incredible,” he said.
Michal Staniszewski, head coach the Canadian whitewater slalom team, said no one expected Tayler to make the Olympics. But now that he has, Staniszewski has high hopes.
“I want him to be in the final and actually aim for a medal,” Staniszewski said.
“If Michael doesn’t win a medal at this year’s Olympics, he’ll certainly win one in the following ones,” Hastings added.
But as Tayler has learned, there’s more to making the Olympics than just going out there and competing. There’s also more interview requests, sponsorship and promotional responsibilities, and the big one: fundraising.
Tayler is receiving some funding from CanoeKayak Canada, the COC, and the government, but he estimates there’s still about $15,000 in other expenses to pay off.
“It’s not like you make suddenly make the Olympics and everything’s covered, unfortunately,” Tayler said. “It’s definitely more support that I’ve had ever before, but the expenses are much higher.”
Tayler’s big sister, Kathleen, also a kayaker, is helping out with these administrative tasks so he can focus on preparing for the Games, which are now less than 60 days away.
Canada has never medaled in a canoe/kayak slalom event at the Olympics, but that’s something Tayler’s hoping to change.
“I’m not going to be happy with just showing up. My goal isn’t accomplished yet,” he said. “A medal isn’t out of the possibility. You’re always racing to win.”
