What’s been your focus since you retired from international sport?
My first focus after retiring at 40 was to make a living and provide for my family. This all revolved around my kayaking business Ferg Kayaks. Then it turned to helping the sport of kayak develop.
What lessons have you learnt as a professional athlete that have helped you in business?
I have learnt that I can do anything, anywhere at any time. If someone else can do it, then I can. I learnt that from having to do everything just to survive in my sport.
What has been your ultimate professional highlight?
Winning three golds at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics.
What three personality traits have helped you achieve in both business and sport?
I set goals every day of my life, some small, some big. I never give up on any until they’re done, therefore I now know I can achieve anything. I am a very focused and determined person. I am a very calm person who never panics, I only speed up when needed.
Where did you live while you were studying here and what was it like?
I lived with my wife in Kelburn in an attic flat of just one room with all the necessities in it. Rent was $18 a week, the cheapest in town. Yes, that was all we could afford and we got what we paid for, but we were very happy to be there and living our dreams.
Describe an enduring memory you have from your time at Victoria
My motor bike starting at 5.50am to race to training, to work and to Uni and home again.
If you could offer one piece of advice to your student self, what would it be?
Believe in yourself, we can all achieve whatever we wish.
In your teenage years you showed promise for various sports including swimming, rugby and surf lifesaving, what made you turn to kayaking?
I moved on to kayaking after a friend of mine talked me into competing at the nationals in the encourage class. With two weeks training, I won my class in a faster time than the open class. It took no brains to work out that I was a natural at it and could soon be on my way to the Olympics.
What is one of the major challenges facing our top young athletes today?
A big challenge for today’s sportsmen is mastering the path to get through to the top. Most sports are at least semi-professional and you need to build a team around you to help you achieve. You are forced to follow a system and be in it up to your ears, otherwise you miss all the help.
The landscape of professional sport has changed dramatically since you were winning Olympic gold medals, what’s one of the biggest differences?
The biggest difference from my day is the money. We didn’t, or couldn’t, pay coaches. We didn’t have any medical help because we had no money. And if you got selected you had to raise money to go overseas. Nowadays if you get selected, it generally means you hit the jackpot and you won the trip to Worlds and other races around the world and get money and support to do it. The down side is the sports administrators hold all the cards, if you want selection you must play by their rules and their ideals.