Gavin Turrell

DOB 9/03/67

Height: 178cm

Weight: 105kg

Club Richmond Canoe club since 1983

Coach
Former Coach - Trevor Wetherall
Current Coach - Allan Bennett (mainly focused on K2)

Occupation
Marketing Manager for General Electric

Favourite Training Venue
The Runway at Richmond-Upon-Thames - a 200 metre strip of sheltered water!

Favourite Racing Venue
Nottingham

Favourite Training Session
20 x 5 seconds/ 3 minute recovery - 4 bungees on the boat - it rips you apart!

Favourite Training camp Location
Temple-Sur-Lot, France (with the gang)
We head back there in early 2004 for some pre-season sharpening

Age started canoeing 17 years old

Previous Race History
- Completed Junior DW 3 times in K2
- fastest time/position: 3rd - 15 hrs 10 minutes- 1986 (4th quickest time ever!)
- Completed Senior DW 3 times in K2
- fastest time/position: 3rd - 17hrs 47 minutes - 1998


Competing for Great Britain
- 5th - K2 'A Final in Paris World Cup -1994
- 6th K1 200 'B' final - Mante Le Jolie World Cup Event 200

Competing for Ireland
-K4 200 at European Championships in Milan 2001.

Australian K1 200m Veteran National Champion - Australian Champion 2006
British K1 200m National Champion - British Championships 2004
British K2 200m Silver Mdeallist (with Steve Tingay) 2004
British K2 200m National Champion (with Steve Tingay) 2002 & 2003
British K1 200m Silver Medallist - British Championships 2003

Equipment
M3 K1 & Kobra K2
Custom built Bracia 1 style paddles
Red Bandana

What do you consider to be the most important elements to being a top 200 metre paddler?

Lots of power on tap,fast reactions and total commitment to winning!

What specific training methods do you adopt to get that all important sharpness/explosive power needed for the 200 event?

I focus in the winter on weights and lots of paddling machine. In March I go to France to train, so as to sharpen up in a slightly warmer climate. In the past year the focus has been on K2, where the most success has been achieved. This involves running a crew boat for 4 sessions a month. 99% of my training is between 5 -20 seconds in duration with long rests.

Describe the feeling when you realised you had got the gold medal in Nottingham and talk us through the race?

We were nervous before the start but held it together well. We had trained for this event all winter and whilst K1 performances counted, we were hungry to retain this title. We had a good start and then the next thing I remember was crossing the line and the release of tension (poem!). We were striking 3 strokes a second - there is no time to think!!!

What do you feel can be done in the UK to promote the 200 metre event, bearing in mind it's exposure and popularity in most other countries and at any major international event?

Start selecting paddlers on a non-funded basis. The top bunch of 200 metre paddlers are now being hampered from reaching their full potential because of the lack of backing and encouragement from the establishment.

Gav's Top Sayings!

Hit the turbos
- flat out effort In the Zone - Where we want to be- working hard at the distance we love

Hyper-Rate
- 3 strokes a second

Hit it Hard
- Gav's going to pull hard off the line

Hang on in there
- reference to the last few metres of the 200 - a critical time in the life of any 200 athlete

Take no prisoners
- 200 metre racers attitude to any competition

Give it max
- throw everything into the pot when it counts

Red-Line it
- When the Lungs are bursting and the arms screaming - 140 metres in usually!

200 Specialist
- One who devotes all energies to the one distance

Hit the chute
- a joke about the speed crew boats cross the line. The fact that a chute might be required to slow the boat down.

Ave it
- John Astburys attitude to 200 metre racing and life in general

Gavin's Winter Training Plan 2003/2004
See some of Gavin's poems

Overview of Gav's Final regatta by Steve Tingay (5/7/04):
End of the road for a British Champion

After many years of training and racing, Gavin Turrell completes his last British regatta at the age 37 by taking his first ever K1 200m British Championship Title.

In a windy weekend Gavin stormed his way through to win the K1 by over a length, then going on to a close second in the K2 and finishing his afternoon with another silver in the K4. A fantastic end to a Strong Mans career!

A bandana tribute being sported by the winning K4 seeing out Gavs last 200m race!

We all wish Gavin all the best for his new life in Australia, but hope he will be back soon to go for a burn up down the Richmond Runway


Gav's Comments on his final 200m regatta in the UK (5/7/04)
To all of you out there.

Thank you british canoeing for giving me 20 years of pain, smiles,
headwinds, glory and the odd tear !

I've had a fantastic time and loved the canoeing way of life. It has always
been balanced with a full time job so like a lot of you out there, there has
been a lot of sacrifice and a difficult juggling act to follow.

Racing has been diverse for me over the years - 6 DW's, Division 1 in
Marathon, Mens A for several years, 3 international sprint trips (1 for GB
and 2 for Ireland) and several National Sprint titles.

Special thanks over the years must go to Trevor Wetheral who coached me to two top 3 positions in DW and to Allan Bennet, who has coached Steve and I for the last 3 years over the 200. Both men have been a major inspiration to me and lasting friendships have formed built on respect, a common love of canoeing and a desire to win.

My greatest moments:

* Getting my international vests in K1, K2 & K4 200 - nothing beats
racing for your country (or in my case countries!)
* Coming 3rd in DW in 1998 with Mac - a blood and guts run in an
exceptionally hard year. The guy really is as tough as he is portrayed to be
!!
* Being National K2 200 Metre Champion with Steve Tingay in 2002 &
2003 - A fantastic and talented guy and a committed, dedicated individual.
He will always be a close friend now and I know he will continue to drive
200 metre racing in this country for us and for the talent of the future!
* Becoming British Champion in the K1 200 this weekend - I wanted to
retire with this medal - and I did it!

I am heading off to Oz on the 18th of August with my lovely wife Lisa and
who knows I may even pick up a paddle there. With Vince in residence there is certainly some inspiration to keep going (even if he would leave me for dead over a 200) - but even if I don't carry on the journey beware all
aspiring 200 metre racers. One windy, grey day you may spot a bandana clad individual making his way up to one of the K1 200 finals at Nottingham - watch out, there was a rumour he was a bit useful at one time !! :)

On a serious note good luck to you all and especially to Tim, Ian, Paul and
Lucy for Athens - Gold Medallists in the making I am sure !! - Go GB Go -
These guys make us massively proud.

I will be having a leaving bash at some point - to which you are of course
all invited ! Details will follow.

Take care all.

Other Images

May Regatta 2004 Nottingham - 500m:

Gavin with baby daughter, Cassidy
Gavin riding around Sydney
Gavin with Cassidy (11.5 months) in January 2006
Gavin and Rupert - Bronze medal in NSW State Championships 2006
Gavin and Rupert - Bronze medal in NSW State Championships 2006
Gavin and Rupert - Bronze medal in NSW State Championships 2006

Gavin sporting his medal after winning the Australian National Championships in K1 200m 2006 (veteran class)

Gavin Competes at Australian Masters Powerlifting Champs