(2014 ☆ ARCHIVED) Dave Macleod - South Africa

DAVE MACLEOD (South Africa) - Nominee for the 'Media Ambassador of the Year' Award.

Website: http://gameplanmedia.co.za

Dave Macleod was born and raised in South Africa and became attracted to the unique and vibrant river marathon calendar. After university he embarked on a radio and television career before establishing a specialist sport media and PR agency Gameplan Media.

For three decades Dave has used his professional infrastructure and industry wide contacts to secure media exposure for a wide variety of paddle sports, from the popular river marathons to the Olympic disciplines of slalom and flat water sprinting that are regarded as Cinderella disciplines in Southern Africa.



He has been integrally involved in the rapid growth of surfski paddling through the popularising of the domestic surfski series and the expansion onto the world tours.



Dave served as Canoeing South Africa’s Secretary-General for four years during which time he established a professional in-house media and marketing function for the national federation. He served on the International Canoe Federation Media Committee and the African Canoe Federation (CAC) equivalent body.



Dave served as the ICF Media Officer at the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games during which time he sought to get maximum exposure in the ICF member federation territories for the sprint and slalom events at the Olympic Games, particularly for emerging nations.

Dave has been co-opted onto the committee driving the Paddle For The Planet programme, and constantly strives to keep the media spotlight on issue that pose a threat to the paddling environment and the global ecology, including industrial pollution, faecal contamination, alien invasive plants and destruction of the ocean’s natural resources: www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152802669593436&set=vb.150258613435&type=2&theater 



Dave has been an active paddler for 35 year, and has completed 20 Dusi Canoe Marathons, 15 Fish River Canoe Marathon and 20 Drak Challenge marathons. He is an enthusiastic surfski paddler and kayaker. He has just turned 50, is married to Alex and has two children Brandon and Sarah.


This is a 2014 archived nominee. For the 2015 nominees click on the button below.