(2016 ☆ ARCHIVED) Johnny Brown - Great Britain

JOHNNY BROWN (Great Britain) - 2016 Nominee for the 'Lifetime Achievement' Award.

Johnny Brown part of the backbone of canoe slalom in Great Britain. Hailing from Scotland, his ("his" from development perspective) paddlers have set the performance precedent in Britain since he began coaching and as a result have made up a large portion of the British Olympic team since 1996, with his paddlers winning medals at the last four Olympic Games.

As the club coach for CR CATS in Scotland, Johnny has contributed to a strong high performance environment and promoted an ethos of hard work, both at the club and in the national squad. In fact, when looking at the British junior national team, several are Scottish athletes who are coached by Johnny. Given his success most other regions of the UK have now adopted the ‘Scottish’ coaching model designed by Johnny.

What separates Johnny from the rest is the fact he never seeks the limelight. He is much happier inspiring the juniors and helping them reach their potential. Even after coaching for 30 years and seeing his paddlers become Olympic heroes, his primary focus remains on coaching the kids.

In 2012 he was recognised for his contribution to canoe slalom and named as an Olympic torchbearer, an accolade he deservingly earned. As well as inspiring young paddlers, Johnny is an inspiration to other coaches, leading by example and demonstrating selfless volunteering. Something others can aspire to but the few will match. In 2015, Johnny was recognised for his selflessness and awarded with the British Canoeing Ed Ecclestone Award, which is presented each year to a volunteer who is, without fuss, quietly getting on with his or her role in canoe slalom.

At 69 years old, he can still be found on the riverbank coaching, and is the first to arrive and the last to leave the clubhouse. Even though he is now starting to wind down it is obvious that his legacy to canoe slalom in Scotland will be felt for many years to come. There wouldn’t be an athlete, coach, manager or spectator who has not been influenced by his passion, expertise and commitment over the past 30 years.

This is a 2016 archived nominee. Voting has closed.