Livingston canoeist Jonny Dickson is still pinching himself now childhood hero Campbell Walsh is his coach.

Dickson and Glasgow-born Walsh both herald from CR Cats Canoe club in Alva and now find themselves at the beating heart of British canoeing in the run up to Paris 2024.

Next summer’s Olympics may yet come too soon for Dickson, but he knows just who to turn as he gets to grips with life during his first season on the senior team.

“I was seven or eight when I met Campbell,” said Dickson, recalling his first meeting with the 2004 Olympic silver medallist.

“They used to run a race in the winter at CR Cats and he came to that as a special guest, and I got his autograph and thought he was really cool.

“As I got older, I started to see his videos on YouTube and watched him and tried to learn from him.

“To this day, I think he’s still one of our most successful athletes.”

Dickson is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing him to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – this is vital for his pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.

After stepping into a boat for the first time aged six, Dickson relied on his parents to take him to training and race events until the age of 17 when he moved south of the border to improve his chances of national selection. 

And as he progressed towards the senior squad following a super silver at the U23 World Championships, Walsh too would make Lee Valley White Water Centre a permanent home, returning after nine years coaching in New Zealand.

“To have him around is like a full circle moment,” said the 22-year-old.

“From him going from being 'the' athlete as a kid to my coach is pretty cool.”

“He’s definitely brought a different lens to the programme and a refresh. I always personally think adding people from out of the current system is good as they have new ideas and thoughts and question our ‘why’ a bit, which I think is really cool.”

With the Paris 2024 Olympics only one year away, the Games are set to inspire people and communities all across the country. Dickson hopes that by sharing his story it will give others motivation to get involved into sport.

Dickson is certainly not afraid of a challenge and hopes success this summer will serve as a springboard to greater things.

“One day I hope to be the best in the world,” he added. “To be ranked No.1 in the world would be really cool as it shows you’ve been consistently good for a long time over many races and different venues.

“For sure, eyes are set on the LA Olympics and pushing towards that. By that point, I’ll hopefully be an established senior team member.”

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