Adrian Profiles with Sunglasses (for web)

Adrian, nickname AJ, is from Blairmore, but now calls Calgary home. There’s one story he shared in his interview that I didn’t include in the video. Back in 2010 he had suffered a fall and injured his ribs. The doctors didn’t know exactly what the problem was… stress fractures, torn intercostal muscles, but the reality was that he felt pain every time he paddled, so he took a break.

Then just as his muscles were getting better, he went out to Skookumchuck Narrows, a famous kayaking site where the tide creates a standing wave where everyone could surf on. While playing around on that wave, one of his teammates lost control and speared AJ in the ribs with the tip of the kayak. With three broken ribs, it was another major setback. For a moment he considered quitting.

But a few months later he got back into kayaking and worked the hardest he had ever worked. There was a fire in him that would not die and the result was an incredible season that included placing second at the National Championships in 2012.

“Never, ever, ever give up,” he says.