Paralympian #198 Scott Martlew has competed at each of the past three Paralympic Games. We chat to the proud Cantabrian about the critical role the Avon River has played in his Para canoe journey.
The tranquil and scenic Avon River, Ōtōkaro, has formed the training heartbeat which has propelled Scott Martlew into an accomplished Para canoe international for more than a decade.
Flowing through the city of Christchurch, out to the Pacific Ocean at Sumner, the Avon River is a hotspot for water sports enthusiasts and for Scott it has formed a pivotal part of his development.
“I’m very fortunate to have access to a flatwater venue,” he says. “Training on the river has provided a tool to train as a sprint kayaker, which I’m very grateful for.”
Pre-injury, Scott competed in both surf lifesaving and kayaking, but the direction of his life was to take a new path after sustaining a tear on his left quad playing rugby. Aged 17 at the time, the tear became infected with a flesh-eating bacteria and the leg was amputated to save his life.
Post amputation, Scott quickly used sport as a rehabilitation tool and just nine months after losing his left leg he competed at the Surf Lifesaving National Championships remarkably winning a gold medal in the four-man surf canoe.
“I was in the hospital recovering when my team-mates (in the surf canoe) said they wanted me back in the boat and they didn’t care how fast we went they just wanted me back in the boat competing,” recalls Scott. “That gave me a push to get back into paddling, and it also gave me what I needed at that time, a real lift. To get back into the canoe was one thing, but nine months later to win gold was a magical moment.”
Shortly after this success, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that Para canoe was set for its debut appearance at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Having dabbled with kayaking pre-injury, Scott opted to fully focus on Para canoe in a quest to win selection for the Paralympic Games.
With the Avon River out of action as a training venue at that time following the 2011 earthquake, Scott first engaged with Para canoe on the Kaiapoi River.
Paddling with one leg was not easy, but over time he adjusted to the demands.
“It is human instinct to adapt, and I had to figure out a way to paddle,” he explains. “If you have two legs you are driving the boat forward from both sides, but now I drive from one side and do half-a-drive from the non-leg side.”
However, while the early days of his Para canoe journey were spent figuring out the Para sport on the Kaiapoi River, for much of his career he has been based on the Avon River training out of the Arawa Canoe Club. Training up to 100km a week on the river can present its challenges. With rowing and waka ama clubs in close proximity, water traffic can become hectic while weed in the river – which can wedge in the rudder – is another issue.
Yet it has certainly not been a bar to his development. He made history at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games by becoming the first Kiwi Paralympian in Para canoe, placing eighth in the Men’s 200m KL3. At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games he placed fourth in the Men’s 200m KL2, before finishing fifth in the same event at Paris 2024. Scott has also claimed Para canoe World Championship medals and is targeting a fourth Paralympic Games appearance at LA28.
Yet whatever happens in the future, the Avon River has unquestionably shaped his career as a paddler.
“The Avon River can be challenging, the water can be quite shallow which causes a lot of bottom drag, which makes it feel like resistance training. But this means whenever we go to an alternative training or competition venue it always feels a lot easier.
“I’ve made so many friends training on the Avon River. I have so many great memories training with my mates here.”
