Athlete, Scholar, Coach. That is how Aaron Small describes himself on his LinkedIn profile, as unassuming as it’s true. Aaron does kayak, ski and hike. He’s in his remaining 12 months of school, set to graduate this spring. He has spent many afternoons and summers teaching youngsters on the native canoe and kayak membership, minutes from the place he grew up.
However at simply 22 years previous, Aaron has simply received a bronze medal within the Males’s Kayak Double 500m Dash on the Pan American Video games. He’s researching Puget Sound air pollution ranges for his undergraduate senior thesis whereas finishing the necessities for his minor in ASL. He’s additionally a volunteer ski patroller and authorized EMT.
Aaron nonetheless discovered the time to talk with Staff Phonak about rising up and his experiences on the water – the place he feels most at dwelling. His story has been edited for size and readability.
The primary paddle
I began kayaking once I was 11 years previous. I received into it as a result of my mother’s buddy had a child who was doing it by faculty, so I attempted it out at Inexperienced Lake on the Seattle Canoe and Kayak Membership.
At first, it was extra of a membership exercise and a good way to get exterior. Whenever you begin out, there’s much more swimming than precise paddling as a result of the boats are so unstable. You get in, you fall out, you swim again to shore, you get in, fall out… It’s simply an limitless cycle. However I actually loved it and caught with it. It’s given me loads of cool alternatives.
I began competing nationally once I was 16 and educated a bit extra persistently. Since I’ve been competing internationally, I practice two to a few instances a day. I practice as soon as within the morning on the water, often for about an hour. It’s a bit troublesome when it’s 32 levels (0 Celsius) out as a result of your arms get numb, and your nostril will get good and frosty. So an excellent day truly begins off with me being heat!
Out on the water
I discover it very fulfilling to push my limits on the water and monitor my enhancements over time. I additionally admire that I can restrict my focus to at least one factor. After I’m paddling, it’s form of my remedy for the day, and I discover it fairly meditative. Typically I even take out my listening to aids and tune out for slightly bit. In any other case, I can actually hear all of the splashes and the seaweed that will get caught on the entrance of the boat – it whistles once I’m paddling quick.
I actually shocked myself final 12 months once I began performing properly internationally, making A-finals and incomes medals. In my warmth on the 2022 World Championships, I bear in mind crossing the end line in third place, understanding that the highest three went on to the A-final. That was my first senior-level A-final qualification, in opposition to athletes I had been watching on TV my complete life. I had one thing to point out for all of the exhausting work.
At any time when I get careworn or nervous at competitions, I attempt to sit again and bear in mind why I’m doing this sport within the first place: I like paddling. I like the coaching and neighborhood points simply as a lot because the competitiveness. That helps to place me in a extra relaxed mindset, which is how I race finest. I additionally attempt to bear in mind everybody that helps me – my pals, household, teammates and coaches.
At all times by the water
Proper now, I’m aiming to qualify for the Paris 2024 Summer time Olympics. We now have the US trials in March subsequent 12 months. They qualify you to compete on the Continental qualifiers, the place it’s important to win the double kayak occasion, or place within the high two within the single kayak, to get a spot on the Olympics. If all goes properly, I’ll be heading to Paris and hopefully LA in 2028. This implies I’ll be balancing full-time coaching with faculty once more quickly.
Due to my schedule, I’m taking slightly break from my part-time teaching job with the youngsters. It’s actually enjoyable working with them, and I typically assume I study extra from them than they do from me. They’re round 10-17 years previous, and I’ve realized that I want to speak with them extra and attempt to share my experiences and suggestions I’ve realized from my time within the sport. After I was youthful and developing within the membership, I picked up many of the coaching abilities and habits by watching older athletes. I’d attempt to mimic them, or coaches would recommend I begin doing one thing a sure method.
I grew up exhausting of listening to, which meant asking “What?” many instances, and folks having to repeat themselves. It was irritating for me and irritating for them. Getting listening to aids did assist loads. There have been some bullying situations as a result of youngsters didn’t actually perceive why I used to be sporting these “bizarre, alien” gadgets in my ears. If I might speak to my youthful self, I’d attempt to encourage him and say that listening to aids are not any totally different than glasses. They’re simply serving to everybody keep related. It’s nothing to be ashamed of – it’s simply what it’s important to do to remain related.
As for the longer term, loads is up within the air. It’s exhausting to be an expert kayaker in the USA as a result of there’s not loads of funding, however I intend to maintain paddling for the foreseeable future. There are loads of cool oceanography jobs on the market which I’ll discover once I graduate. I admire that oceanography encompasses many various STEM disciplines, like chemistry, bodily oceanography and biology. And, in fact, I like being by the water.
Be aware: Aaron wears the Phonak Audéo Life Lumity, the world’s first rechargeable waterproof listening to support.
