Chris Rattue talks to the Olympic champion about getting back in the water - for a good cause
He's back.
Our greatest Olympic swimmer Danyon Loader will return to pool action tonight - but only briefly and for a good cause.
Loader won silver in the butterfly at Barcelona in 1992 and two freestyle gold medals in Atlanta four years later, before floating off into the sunset not too long after that.
The 35-year-old has been organising a New Zealand-Australia meet at the West Wave Aquatic Centre in Henderson tonight, to raise money for earthquake-hit Canterbury.
Loader will take to the water with leading Kiwi swimmers in the "fun" meet which will include top Aussies Libby Trickett, Leisel Jones, Jessicah Schipper, Brenton Rickard and Shane Gould, a golden superstar at the 1972 Olympics.
Mahe Drysdale, Ian Jones and Rick Wells will also splash out tonight; the main event starts at 7pm.
Loader is at a crossroads in his post-competitive career.
Dunedin's famous sporting son moved to Auckland at the end of 2009 - he flats in Grey Lynn - and has continued his work as the country's first Olympic ambassador.
But now he is about to ignite a career in one-on-one coaching.
Did you come up with the charity meet idea?
No, it was [Olympic swimmer] Hayley Palmer's idea. It's been a bit of a rush but the Australians have been pretty supportive.
What are your immediate career aims?
It's always time to think about one's career and I'm looking to branch out, make some money. I'm looking to pass my knowledge on in various formats. I really like dealing with people who want to improve their swimming and not necessarily just competitive swimmers - triathletes, ocean swimmers, all the people in the aquatic community.
What sort of coach are you?
I like to demonstrate in the water because what you are doing is describing a feeling. The relationship is that the coach can see but can't feel, whereas the swimmer can feel the technique but can't see it. Until I get too body-conscious, I'm always going to get in the water with them which is different to the traditional method of coaching. In saying that, Dunc [his late coach Duncan Laing] would get in the water sometimes but he was a big guy. I'm using certain exercises to reinforce the critical part of the swim, which is the catch - a lot of people miss that area, [the sensation of] holding the water.
Swimming still grabs you ...
I'll always be linked to swimming and I admire people who keep the passion alive. I have other interests but I still enjoy being in the water - there is nothing better than relaxing in the ocean. I enjoy connecting with sports people, finding what motivates them.
Any thoughts on the national championships?
The main thing I've been asked about is my 800m freestyle record being broken. Unfortunately, I wasn't there at the moment Dylan Dunlop-Barrett broke the record. It is a bittersweet situation - you still like to see your name there. But the constant breaking of records tells me the level of sport is constantly improving and that's a good thing. I got to present Dylan with his 1500m medal.
You broke 58 national records - how many do you still hold?
I don't know.
What is the state of New Zealand swimming?
My thoughts were always focused on the world stage, even at a young age. When you become national champion, you look further. I constantly thought about improving, doing personal bests, mastering technique, how I rated against other swimmers. I can't speak for the psyche of the current swimmers but those are the ideals I advocate when I visit primary schools. Anyone can be an Olympic champion. My note to teachers and parents is that we just don't know who it might be - we've got to give them all the opportunity to find out how good they are.
Is there one thing you would change in swimming?
This is swimming - you are standing at the beach, you see the pontoon and you want to see who can swim there and back. That goes to the heart of it. If you have that mentality of fun you will get wider participation ... it's about two mates.
Your favourite career moment?
Hard to say. The success I've had has allowed me to talk with people that I would not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise, from little kids to world athletes, plus in other areas like the performing arts. It's allowed me to open up the conversation, to say hello. And that's one of the best things you can say in any language.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
No.
What's the best advice you ever received?
Don't be overawed by the superstars. Bring it back to that. At least for swimming, it is just about swimming there and back.
Did you have a sports hero as a kid?
No. I didn't pay much mind to that.
What about swimming's Watergate - any thoughts on the techno togs?
I'm not privy to information and these are just my musings. FINA's decision to ban those suits and take things back is good - it returns the sport to the person's training and ability. I'm not averse to change but the evolution reached a point where compression suits were covered with rubber that acted as a sealant and became an air-trapping device. When all of this began in the early 90s, it was about how the water travelled over the surface of the material and I don't think they even understood they had created compression suits. The body won't fit neatly into those suits so areas can trap air. The rules have always stated you can't have buoyancy aids. It was changing the way people were training - they didn't need the physique and they were adapting to that technology. World records were getting smashed. It is a multi-million dollar industry, though, lawyers get involved, and that's why it took time to sort out.
Drugs?
I don't know anything that's happening on the world stage. I just think in New Zealand we have such a good culture around personal bests and human performance over and above performance-enhancing aids or substances.
Ian Thorpe's comeback?
I'm not surprised by anything and when I heard about it, I thought cool. He's got a tough job, though, not only with the physical side of things. That's why he's based himself away from Australia, partly to manage expectations.
Were you ever tempted to make a return?
All I have to do is jump in the water and swim 50 metres to know that a comeback isn't going to happen. I'm physically very unfit. I miss having that level of fitness - maybe I'm lazy. It takes a lot of work.
