Alyce & Jordan Wood Interview
A special and exciting interview coming your way today as we speak with our first ever Canoe/Kayak athletes and recently returned Olympians from Tokyo, Alyce & Jordan Wood, about their amazing careers and Olympic experiences! We find out from both of them how they got into the sport and how much surf lifesaving has played a part and also helped in their careers. We also learn about the differences between canoe & kayak, as well as what leads an athlete to choose sprint over slalom and how it compares to the often related sport of rowing. Added to this some great stories about their experiences in both Rio & Tokyo, finding out just how quarantine is going for them and just why super hero movies aren’t exactly on the film watching list for one of them, it’s one fun interview that you will enjoy! So get to listening!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Please note this is an automated transcript that may contain errors.
BEN WATERWORTH: It is Off The Podium, an Olympics podcast coming to you today for a very exciting interview. All of our interviews are exciting, of course. I'm gonna say that every single week because I'm not lying on this show, but a particularly exciting one today because it's a dual interview today. Our third dual interview after Tali and Dean a few weeks back, and of course, Jaden and Connor before the Tokyo Olympics. We've got Alyce and Jordan Wood on the show today. Our first ever husband and wife pairing, both canoeists competed in Tokyo and back in Rio 2016. And a great chat here with both Alyce and Jordan, our very first taste of canoeing, of course, on the show. Explain the differences between canoe and kayak and what we should really refer to it as, how they got into the sport and how a lot of surf lifesavers end up in the sport in Australia. Why not a lot of surf lifesavers don't go into slalom when it comes to canoe, kayak, and just also all about their experiences in Tokyo from how they felt they went in terms of the competition side of things right through to in terms of the lifestyle and what it was like there at the Tokyo Olympics compared to their first Olympics back in Rio. So very insightful and a fun chat here. They recorded this a few weeks back when they were in quarantine, when they had just returned back from Tokyo. So you'll hear a few references to how they're living their lives in quarantine. And I'm sure Alyce and Jordan, if you're listening to this right now, you probably have even forgotten that you're in quarantine, and you're well and truly back into normal every single day life. So here's a little bit of a time capsule for you both. But here's our chat with Olympic canoeists, Alyce and Jordan Wood.
BEN WATERWORTH: So excited for our next guest here on Off The Podium today. Our first ever athletes from the sport of canoe, or canoe kayak. We're gonna get to the bottom of this throughout this interview. They are two time Olympians, both of them having competed in both Rio and recently in Tokyo, multiple world championships, multiple World Cup medals. They've basically done everything that you can think of in the sport, and we're gonna learn a lot more about their careers today. And also for the first time, athletes stuck in quarantine, which I'm very intrigued to find out how that's all going. And also, first time we've had athletes who are married to each other as well, which is also another first on the show. Pleasure to welcome Alyce and Jordan Wood to the show. Guys, first of all, welcome to Off The Podium.
ALYCE WOOD: Thanks for having us.
JORDAN WOOD: Thanks for having us.
BEN WATERWORTH: I try to get everything in there into the introduction. Did I leave anything else out there? Anything else you want me to quickly add just before we get into the other questions?
JORDAN WOOD: I think you're pretty much covered it all.
ALYCE WOOD: Oh, no, here's a fun fact. Jordan's mum is my coach.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yes, right.
ALYCE WOOD: So that would be a random fact to add into the intro.
BEN WATERWORTH: Another one there. Jordan, you also had dreadlocks as well, which I was gonna try and fit into the intro there, but I thought maybe we could squeeze that in. Well, I got it over and done. I'm just ticking off the bingo here.
JORDAN WOOD: I didn't have dreadlocks. I just had one knot.
BEN WATERWORTH: Right.
ALYCE WOOD: One dreadlock.
BEN WATERWORTH: Dreadlock, not plural, dreadlocks, basically. I need to ask first of all, I mean, you're in quarantine. We're having a bit of a chat off air there about how's it all going. But I mean, are you guys going crazy yet? Are you ready to kind of run out and just experience the real world? Or are you relishing the alone time that you guys get together? I'm sure this probably isn't something you get to experience a lot when you're out in the road.
JORDAN WOOD: Well, it's one of those things that's, you know, obviously, it's two weeks. It's quite a long time to be sort of stuck in one spot. But then you can sort of look at it with how often in your life can you, do you have two weeks to pretty much lounge around in your bed and just take it easy? It doesn't happen very often. So sort of taking full advantage of it.
ALYCE WOOD: I think we're lucky though. So we're some of the athletes and most of the Olympic team are up in Howard Springs in Darwin. So that's where we are. And it's not quite like hotel quarantine. So they're kind of like dongers. And so it's like a single bed and the room's pretty basic, but we have a balcony and the balcony is the opposite people. And you're allowed, you're not allowed off your balcony unless you walk to the laundry within your time or you go to the bin. But just being opposite other people and having that interaction and that outdoor time is so, so, so good. So we've hit a win with that versus a normal hotel.
BEN WATERWORTH: So who are you near? Can you give us some goss on some of the other athletes that you're kind of in the vicinity from any other sports or your own sports? And are you able to sort of go out in the balconies and yell at each other and kind of share experiences?
ALYCE WOOD: We can definitely go out and yell. So Jordan and I, on the balconies, like it's four people per balcony, but there's like red lines that you're not allowed to go across. But because we're married, we share kind of two squares, if you know what I mean. And so on our balcony is my K2 partner, Alyssa Bull, and one of the girls in our K4, Jamie. And then opposite us is Lockie, who's in Jordan's K4. Anna, who is my coach and Jordan's mum. So we don't really get much to arrest from the mother-in-law coach situation. And Bernie, one of our canoers. And then there's like basketballers and cyclists near us. And the water polo girls are like a compound over, so we can't see them, but we can definitely hear them. So yeah, good time to all things considered.
BEN WATERWORTH: I can imagine the basketball guys are probably a bit rowdy, aren't they? Are they still celebrating after the bronze?
ALYCE WOOD: I think they're a little bit tired. There's only a few of them here. I think a few of them just burst off, but I think the first few days are a little bit tired, but it's pretty funny watching them try to work out because they're so tall, and the balconies obviously have a roof, and we're quite tall, we're over six foot, and if you try to skip or something, the skipping rope hits the roof, so they just can't do much with that.
BEN WATERWORTH: Nice, nice. I would love to get clarified for us on the show today. I'm sure it's a question you both often get when it comes to talking about your sport. Canoe, kayak, give us the obvious answer here, what the difference is, and when it comes to explaining it, I'm guessing we just refer to you as paddlers. Is that the correct terminology to describe what type of athletes you both are?
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I think so. I think paddlers is quite a broad term, which is, you know, pretty much what we are, so.
ALYCE WOOD: I think if you kind of get down to the nitty gritty, traditionally, our sport is called canoeing, and it comes or goes way back to, I think, maybe, you know, the Canadians or whatever, and going down rivers in your canoe and transporting things. And so canoeing in the modern age is on your knee. So you're in a kneeling position, one knee back, one knee forward, and you have like half a blade, and that's so hard. You don't have a rudder, so you don't have any steering. It's one of the hardest sports ever. And then kayaking, which is what we do, we sit on our bum and have like a double blade. So yeah, that's like the key difference. But I think our sport's traditionally canoeing, because of way back when, but yeah, we do have canoe kayak, so yeah.
BEN WATERWORTH: And also, I mean, we were fascinated during Tokyo to kind of talk a lot about it, because we sort of explained it as, I guess the way it's covered, it's almost like rowing's redheaded stepchild. It almost gets forgotten about outside of the rowing. The Australians often talk about rowing. It's kind of like, oh, we've got these rows, it's great. And then the second week comes along, and you realise how many great canoeists we've got out there as well. And I often find it more entertaining. I always find the canoe kayak more entertaining. I mean, is it kind of often lumped in with rowing? Because I guess you're kind of on the same course. You're both in boats. You've both sort of got some sort of stick apparatus to move you forward, or is it really so separate that we're kind of just being a bit cruel by lumping you in with those rowing bastards?
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I think most people would refer to us as rowers, or even people you've known most of your life, they always go, oh, how's the rowing going? Oh, it's actually kayaking, but yeah, and they go, oh, it's the same thing, right? And you go, oh, not really, but.
ALYCE WOOD: We like to say we're the smart ones, because we go forward, whereas the rowers go backwards. And so when we share a canal, like, for instance, at home, we share a canal with one of the schools on the Gold Coast, and we have to dodge them because they can't see us.
JORDAN WOOD: Wow.
ALYCE WOOD: I think, like we always say, a lot of second week sports at the Olympics, we're not spoken about until the second week, and that goes across the board with lots of sports. So obviously we are very similar to rowing. We do share the same course, but they're very different sports. Our sport's more of a sprinting sport. Their sport, rowers are over 2Ks, whereas the furthest we go is 1K, but we also have 200 metres and 500 metres. So it's a lot quicker. The races probably are a lot closer, and a lot can happen in the race. You know, the boat's a lot harder to keep up and running, whereas a rowing boat, it has really nice glide, and it's really smooth. And once you're up and running, kind of you just roll with it. Whereas a kayak, you know, it's quite easy to bulk down. And yeah, there's a lot of changes in the race, which makes it pretty exciting.
BEN WATERWORTH: And I imagine it's more of an adaptive sport, because obviously you both come from surf life-saving backgrounds. Alyce, obviously yourself kind of, that's where you are. And obviously Jordan, you've got that, but also, you know, a family coming from the sport as well. So in terms of, I guess, for Australians, is this where the majority of athletes do come across from? It's sort of from the surf life-saving area that you kind of move into canoeing and use that as part of your surf life-saving or vice versa?
ALYCE WOOD: I think most of our team are surf life-savers, and so that's kind of where our talent pool comes from as a kind of blanket rule, I guess, in Australia. Our main competition is Europeans, and so they all grow up in a kayak, whereas we don't start kayaking until we're about 15, 16, when you're allowed to jump on a surf ski, and then you decide that you jump in a kayak to help you technique. So I think, yeah, so many of us do come from surf, and there is that really good crossover between surf ski paddling and kayaking, and now also like ocean skis. And that's why I think we like to call ourselves paddlers, because we're obviously sprint kayakers, and that's what we raced at the Olympics, but so many of us dabble in so many other disciplines, and there is so many paddling disciplines out there.
BEN WATERWORTH: Jordan, for yourself, obviously, as I mentioned, you come from a family of paddlers. Both your parents were Olympic medallists. Was this something that you sort of just grew up around and kind of you were always wanting to get into? Was it something your parents pushed you into? Sort of like what brought you about taking up the sport?
JORDAN WOOD: I think sort of to start with, when I started paddling, and obviously, like, my mum was always around the sport, and she was always coaching. And so naturally, I was always sort of in and around kayaking, and I just sort of started paddling when I was quite young. And I think I'm the only person on the team that probably didn't come from Surf Life Saving directly, myself and John, who's from South Africa. And then I never felt pressured or pushed into it. I think it was just something to do while, you know, mum was coaching and everything. And I just sort of enjoyed paddling from a young age. And then as I got a bit older, I sort of left paddling a little bit and tried to race mountain bikes and then realised I was not so good at the hat and then came back to kayaking when I was about 14, 15, and just started making a couple of junior teams from there. And yeah, here we are now. So slightly different, yeah, slightly different to some of the other people on the team, but yeah, got there in the end.
BEN WATERWORTH: With Alyce for yourself, I mean, sort of, you, I believe, wanted to sort of mainly be an iron woman, but when you turned to kayaking at about 15, sort of obviously fell for it a little bit. Was it something about it that kind of made you fall in love with it and kind of maybe want to pursue it a little bit more outside of the surf lifesaving?
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, I always wanted to be an iron woman. You know, I grew up in the surf. My family's really heavily involved in surf lifesaving, and so it was kind of like an obvious choice for me. And then when you turn 15, you can jump in a ski. So I jumped in the kayak to help you take me. And I kind of explain it like if you're a cross-country runner, you know, you're running over rocks and through ditches and in mud and whatever. And so it's hard to like practice your techniques. So you jump on a track or on a road to really work on that. So for ski paddlers, particularly 15-year-old females who aren't very strong, you know, to paddle a 18-kilogram, 18-foot ski in a surf and wind and chop and everything is quite hard. So you jump in a kayak on the flat water, and it's a lot lighter. And I mean, it's a lot skinnier, so it's easier to fall in. But I just, once I could finally stay upright, which is a bit of a mission in itself. Most people spend months and months upside down in a kayak. But once I could stay upright, I fell in love with the fact that kind of what you put in is what you get out. Because in surf lifesaving, a lot of it comes down to luck. And I still love surf, and I still race in surf, but just taking that luck out of it and really, you know, I guess, putting your hard work on show was really satisfying. And I mean, what helps it as well is just the people you meet and the places you're able to go. And I mean, kites and Olympic sports, so very, very cool.
BEN WATERWORTH: Was there any aspirations then from both of you throughout that to head to the Olympics in terms of when I grow up, I get to a certain point, this is a goal. I mean, Jordan, obviously, you're sort of around that a little bit more with your parents, but then, I mean, Alyce, with yourself, once you kind of fell in love with that, was it like, okay, Olympics, this is a goal that I can strive towards?
ALYCE WOOD: I went to the Sydney Olympics actually as an eight-year-old just to watch a few sports, and I fell in love with the Olympics then, and I said way back then I wanted to be an Olympian, but like the sports that I was doing then, and they were mainly like school sports, I wasn't much shop out. I was kind of the person growing up through school that would always be like the last pick, or I'd kind of come out the back, which was totally fine. I loved sport. But yeah, I think for me, the whole idea of the Olympics kind of started to come into my head probably not until I was 16 or 17, when I started to realise that I, you know, I was actually okay at paddling, and you started to meet people in the sport that had been to the Olympics, and you can kind of start to see a bit of a pathway. But I think even then, it doesn't really feel real until you get to an Olympics, because it's what so many kids kind of dream of. And even now, I like to say that when you're an Olympian, like, I remember a couple of girls coming back to my school who went to my school and became Olympians. And I just thought they were like the coolest people ever. And how can people like that from the Sunshine Coast go on to achieve that? And now we've done it, and it kind of seems a little bit surreal, because, yeah, it's what you grow up kind of thinking about.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I think for me, like, it's probably a little bit different, because, like, my dad went to two Olympics, and then my mum competed at four Olympics. So I think the path to an Olympic Games is maybe just, like, a little bit more clear, because I could, you know, have those conversations so freely at home. But, yeah, I think, for me, it really started, you know, becoming a bit more of a possibility when I was probably around the same, like, 16 or 17 years old, and you can sort of see how you're progressing and stuff like that. And then, you know, then once you compete at like a junior world championships and then a sort of senior world championships, you go, oh, okay, the next step is competing in Olympic games. And that in itself was just so exciting, especially coming sort of, I was quite young at my first Olympics, I was 21. So coming straight out of juniors and seniors and then making the Olympic team was, you know, just massive for me.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which I guess growing up in sort of that household and having that, you know, reliance and sort of having your parents help that. I mean, when you get to your first Olympics, how much was your mum able to kind of get in your mindset to sort of say, okay, this is what the experience is going to be like. Because I can imagine that every athlete maybe goes into an Olympics, assuming it's gonna be just like another competition. And of course it is, but then there's all the added elements and attention that an Olympic games bring, particularly for your sport, I guess, where, you know, unfortunately, Australians don't really maybe pay as much attention to canoe kayak outside of an Olympics as they probably should.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, it's funny. I don't really remember having any conversations like with mum, like preparing me for it. I think she was more than happy just to sort of let me go on my own course and sort of figure it out for myself. So it's sort of like a, you know, a fresh experience for me, and it's not sort of passing down too much stuff from her. And which I really appreciate because it sort of leads a bit more to as a surprise, I guess you could say.
ALYCE WOOD: I think we're lucky though, like in our sport, we're all kind of like a big family. And, you know, I remember right back to when I first made the senior team, you know, people would just have casual conversations at the dinner table about the Olympics and different stories. And so you kind of a bit of a sponge and all those different stories kind of add up and kind of help you once you do get to your first Olympics. I mean, it's still completely eyes wide open and, you know, nothing will 100% be paid for that. But, yeah, just like those shared stories were pretty beneficial for all of us.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, you had, Alyce, I believe, sort of as one of your helpers, role models, the great Clint Robinson, who I believe was a member of your Surf Fly Saving Club there, of course, gold medallist in the sport for those listening who maybe are outside of Australia, don't know who Clint is and his achievements. I mean, how helpful was it to have someone like Clint sort of help you throughout your journey?
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, it's pretty special coming from the same Surf Club as Clint. I mean, he's a bit of a hero in our sport, obviously. I think he went to five Olympics and has won three medals. And in Surf Life Saving, he's the most successful Surf Lifesaver as well. So definitely someone to look up to. And I think what made it kind of, I guess, special is the fact that, you know, you saw when I was growing up, you saw Clint just getting around the Surf Club like anyone else. And that's what kind of humanized the Olympics and made it feel like it was achievable. But I'm really lucky to come from Rootshidore because we're from such a kind of a strong surf ski paddling pedigree, which means there's a lot of kayakers there as well. So you kind of learn off so many different people and so many different people can tell stories. And I mean, it's really cool at our club, at our Surf Club, when you walk up the stairs now, they've got an Olympian's wall and, you know, Clint obviously features on there quite a fair bit, but there's other Olympians on there. There's Jordan's late dad. He was actually in the same Surf Club as well for a couple of seasons. And so he's on there as well. And then there's Jordan and I, so very special to be in a Surf Club that, you know, has such a strong pedigree in kayaking, but also obviously surf skiing.
BEN WATERWORTH: When it comes to obviously the disciplines with the sport, obviously you've got flat water and then you've got slalom. I mean, you were talking a little bit before about sort of the paddling in the surf and kind of everything along those lines. I mean, what's sort of the uptake when it comes to people switching to slalom over flat water? Or is it kind of a different beast that you don't really get those surf lifesavers going to slalom and they're sticking to the flat water?
ALYCE WOOD: I think, you know, that's a funny question. So we will often refer to the slalom paddlers as the cool cousins because, you know, going down rapids and doing spins and they're all sponsored by Red Bull and they're just way cooler than our sprint kites. I mean, it's funny, they actually say the opposite. They say, we're the cool ones. But you'd think a lot of surf lifesavers and a lot of ski paddlers would transition to slalom paddling. But the issue is, and I think this will change as Brisbane 2032 comes about, is the issue is at the moment in Australia, the only slalom course is in Penrith. And so it's nowhere near surf. There's a couple of natural rivers and stuff they can do, for instance, in Tassie, where you are. But obviously, all those natural rivers have to be flowing. And so, yeah, the main course that you train at is in Penrith, so not near the surf. But Brisbane 2032, you know, they have to build a slalom whitewater centre, and they've got that on the plans. And so that'll start to happen soon. And I can't wait to see the crossover from surf life savings to slalom, because, I mean, it's a really obvious one. And those of us that have tried slalom paddling, we all love it. Like Jordan's done it a fair bit. And I mean, it's natural for us being ski paddlers on the slalom course. So yeah, I can't wait to see kind of the juniors have the choice of either sprint or slalom in the future in Queensland.
BEN WATERWORTH: I was gonna ask that about that, the slalom, if either of you had tried it. So Jordan, I mean, how do you find it? How do you find sort of doing the slalom?
JORDAN WOOD: I can't say I did the slalom between the poles, but I definitely enjoyed going down the rapids at the slalom course. Like I think for me, if we had better access to a slalom course, I would definitely like to learn the skills and get a better understanding about the sport. But unfortunately, it's just an access problem. Like we've got a creek out the back of my mum's house, and I've got a couple of whitewater boats that you can only sort of go down and paddle when it is flooding or the water's high. So yeah, I think with the uptake in slalom in Australia, as well with Alyce's point, it's just more of an access issue. And as like another slalom course gets built, I reckon there'll just be more and more people sort of seeing how cool the sport is. And I think the sport will grow from there.
ALYCE WOOD: And I think like it's pretty cool. Like in our sport, in spring kayaking, we've had very good success. I think we've won a medal at every Olympics in 88. And so I think it's that. Anyway, so success breeds success. And we've seen that time and time again with our sport. If you have someone successful, the next generation has someone to look up to and it creates a good training environment. And you just see that flow on and you've seen that in spring kayaking because of our success. But now we've got Jess Fox. I mean, she's an absolute legend. You know, a gold and a bronze medal in Tokyo. And she's literally the greatest of all time. And I think so many kids will be able to look up to her. And now that there is on the plans to build a slalom course in Brisbane, and we'll have two in Australia, and hopefully that just brings the uptake a bit more because we are one sport after all. We sit under their paddle Australia banner. So it's cool to be able to see juniors and development kids feed through both disciplines.
BEN WATERWORTH: There was a tweet that emerged during the Olympics. There was a reporter down here who was sharing a photo, and I believe they were going to air the story a couple of days afterwards, with Jess Fox's parents were here in Tassie competing back in like the early 1990s, and they were being interviewed by Ariane Titmuss' dad, Steve Titmuss, who I grew up as he was our main news reader here in Tasmania for many years. So it was kind of just this, you know, the six degrees of separations that you've got to Tokyo gold medallist parents basically associating about 20 or 30 odd years prior. It was kind of one of those weird little moments to kind of go along that way. When it comes to the training aspect, obviously, you know, with sort of the surf lifesaving training and everything along those lines, is there much of a transition to what you have to use for that training aspect to what you do towards the sprinting aspect? I mean, do they kind of work together, or is there certain sort of physical aspects when it comes to the training, when you are working on the sprint paddling that you've got to do that you maybe wouldn't do so much with the surf lifesaving?
ALYCE WOOD: I think yes and no. Surf lifesaving, it's a lot more based around like endurance and a lot of skill, I guess, in the surf, particularly if you're racing quite big surf. Kayaking is definitely a sprint sport. And I think if you go back and watch a video, for instance, from Tokyo, of any female race, with myself in it or one of the other Aussie girls in it, we look like string beans in comparison to the girls who are racing. They're just muscles on muscles. And it just shows, I mean, yeah, we have that background of endurance. So we've lost those years of building strength in the gym that those girls that we race against have had growing up. And there's no, I guess, rider role. It works for us and we're very technical. And so even if you're strong, you still need to have good technique, whereas we kind of work really heavily on our technique and use our endurance base as well. So there is a small crossover, obviously you paddle left than right, and then left and right, and you have a similar shaped paddle. And I mean, the boats are streamlined, but the boats themselves are quite different. But yeah, spring kayaking is very explosive in comparison to ski paddling, I would say.
JORDAN WOOD: What about you, John? Yeah, I think for me, what I struggle with with ski paddling is the skills for the surf, is you just need that to spend so much time in the ski, learning the movements of the ocean and stuff like that. So when I go to a ski race, it's like I'm quite good paddling in flat water. But as soon as I get to a ski race, it's pretty common for me to get knocked out in the heat just because I don't have the skills for the surf ski. But yeah, I think there's definitely crossovers and they definitely... Ski paddling can definitely help your kiking and kiking can definitely help your ski paddling. But yeah, at the end of the day, they are two different sports.
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, I think a lot of people growing up try to do both equally. And I think obviously when you're growing up, that's great. But I think you get to a point where you have to specialise, and I mean, since I've specialised in kiking, my ski paddling career has kind of, you know, gone a little bit downhill. And that's purely due to skills in turf. But, you know, you just have to kind of make that choice. And you still, there's still a small crossover for sure.
BEN WATERWORTH: When it comes to all the disciplines and deciding sort of what you want to focus on, I mean, is there much of a crossover when it comes to, I want to focus on, say, the K1 events, be a solo paddler, or then maybe I'm more of a K2 person, or I'm more of a K4, or does it kind of, you start as a solo and then you kind of just bring yourself, it's kind of like the Avengers, you just team up when you need to kind of put everyone together. I mean, sort of, how does that generally work when it comes to the separate events?
ALYCE WOOD: That's like the million dollar question. I think hiking is a pretty unique sport. So rollers, for an example, if they're selected in eight, they'll do all of their training in the eight. They won't help in a single. Whereas kayaking, because it's such a balanced sport, and it's so hard to get your feel for the water, and it's really harsh on your body, you know, because you've got that balance aspect, and you've got to be strong, and you've got to have that endurance and that technique. Paddling 12 sessions a week in a K4 or a K2 is impossible.
JORDAN WOOD: You just could never do it. It's just too taxing on your body. So we do a lot of work in the K1s as well, just to... And then you do probably like, ideally, like two or three team boat sessions a week. So you do the bulk of your work in a K1 still.
ALYCE WOOD: And I think a lot of us, when we race off for a team, for an example, a World Champs team, is often selected on your K1 and then your K2 and your team boats. So you have to be able to perform in your K1 because that's like a baseline measure, I guess. But definitely some people are better at team boats than what they are in singles. Jordan's definitely a team boat paddler, and at the moment, I'm doing both. In Tokyo, I raced, I was in the final for the K1 and the K2, but you kind of position yourself as kind of a front of the team boat paddler or a back of the team boat paddler. So for instance, Jordan sits in the back of both the K2 and the K4, and it's a very different seat for sitting in the front. And if you position yourself as a backseat paddler, particularly in a K4, it's really heavy, and there's a lot of work that you put in, and it's a really high workload. And so it's quite harsh on your body. And so just simply backing up and trying to race a K1 after that, you're leaving yourself a little bit exposed. It hurts a lot.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, yeah.
ALYCE WOOD: We definitely have people that prefer team boats over singles. We actually call, we nicknamed the single K lonely rather than K1, because it is a bit lonely after being in a team boat.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I definitely prefer racing team boats over a single. I just like having in a team with a group of mates. It's just for me, I just can't really get as excited for my K1 as I can for a team boat.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which when you're out there in the middle of a race and obviously spurring each other on, I mean, is there tactics and things that you can sort of say to each other to really pick each other up? Because I mean, I guess it's that motivation, isn't it? That the body's kind of tiring, you're training to that sort of stuff, but you've got to pick up a bit of speed or kind of that second wind essentially in a race. I mean, are there go-to words, go-to phrases that you can say in the middle of a race to really kick you guys' arses into gear?
JORDAN WOOD: You can't talk in the middle of a race.
ALYCE WOOD: If you think about this, so for instance, in the K4, say you're going 130 to 140 strokes a minute, and the way we breathe is breathe in one stroke and out the other. So if you're going 140 strokes a minute, you're breathing at 70 breaths a minute, and they're just shallow breaths. But to try and fit in words in between that is like next to impossible. We do make a couple of calls, like in my boat, I make the calls, and it's just a simple yep, and we know what that means. So it's either a transition down into the middle part of your race, or it's a yep to start our finish. But that's it.
BEN WATERWORTH: Just kind of going through there. Wow, it's interesting to hear that, because I mean, it makes complete sense that you wouldn't be able to kind of talk. And that's just me, the armchair critic there, going, come on, guys, why aren't you talking? You know, paddle faster. But at the end of the day, you're just doing everything in your aspect said that you can possibly do.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, and when you come into a race, like most people and most crews will race to a race plan. So you're trained to execute that specific race plan. So each person in the boat knows exactly where those yaps and those sort of lifts are going to come. So it's not a surprise to anyone. It's just more one person gives the call. So everyone can put a bit more power in on the same time, just so it's not a disjointed boat. So yeah, you sort of talk, but that's about it.
BEN WATERWORTH: Is it?
JORDAN WOOD: One word the whole race.
BEN WATERWORTH: One word, well, that's all you need, right? That's all one word is all you need. Is there much sledging with the other competitors on the start line? Do you kind of give them a bit of a stare down? Like, oh, the Germans are next to us. Oh, we don't like them. We're going to stare them down. Oh, look, the French, we like them. So maybe we'll give them a bit of a, hey, you know, you're not going to beat us. Like, is there much going on there on the start line?
ALYCE WOOD: No, I, no, not really. I think at the top of the course when we're paddling around, you do a few loops, I guess, before you're called into the start gates. And it's pretty silent. There's a few, like, sparrows going on, but I don't really, like, personally, kayaking is, like we've said time and time again, like, kayaking is such a technical sport, and it's so easy to ruin your race, I guess. You know, for instance, in a team boat, we both sit in the back, and if our timing is bad, you know, if we're too early or too late, it ruins the race, basically. And, you know, there's different things with your power, the way you put in your power, or if you sit in the front of the boat, you can overrate it or you can underrate it. And so you really have to nail it yourself. So, yeah, you don't really focus on everyone else too much.
JORDAN WOOD: I think, especially maybe in juniors, like, I remember when I was younger, and I was, like, turn up to a race, and I was always quite small, and I'd be like, oh, these guys are so big, like, and you'd sort of, like, kind of, that sort of, maybe it was a bit more like mind games back then. But once you get to seniors, like, no one's intimidated by anyone, because once you're in that race, everyone knows that whoever's in that race is capable of winning on the day. And I think maybe that intimidation thing probably more when you're, like, when they're, like, in the junior categories and stuff, because I think most people in the final have a pretty mutual respect for everyone else, and, you know, like, we're friends with quite a lot of the field as well, like, we know them all quite well, so, yeah. I don't think there's any intimidation or stare-offs. There's always one person, like, randomly yelling, like, in the warm-up area, but, like, you sort of just ignore them.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's always that one. Are they usually American? Can we say that? Or, um...
ALYCE WOOD: Well, there's not many Americans in kayaking, actually, so, no.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's one of the few that they don't seem to go with it. I can imagine, like, Alyce, for example, for yourself, I mean, you're lining up there in the K1500 against the one and only Lisa Carrington. Can you not put her off a little bit? Like, oh, come on, stop winning, Lisa. Just come on, just give it. You know, New Zealand, you shouldn't win. Like, come on. You know, too many gold for New Zealand, Lisa. Calm down.
ALYCE WOOD: I think you're shitting yourself so much that you just don't spend that energy on anyone else except yourself.
JORDAN WOOD: Daring uses energy.
BEN WATERWORTH: I mean, you both make your Olympic debuts in Rio. I mean, I'll get the obvious question out of the way that you get asked a million and one times. Were you guys together back in Rio? Were you able to share that? Or was it sort of something that happened between Rio and Tokyo?
ALYCE WOOD: No, no, we were together. We were living together at the time. And yeah, it was pretty special to go to an Olympic Games, I mean, with, you know, your boyfriend at the time. You know, go to the closing ceremony together, experience all the highs and lows together.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which is, I mean, a unique aspect of any Olympics is to go to one, but yeah, to have that kind of there with your partner must be an amazing experience. But I mean, for both of you, when you both qualify, I mean, did one qualify ahead of the other? Were you qualifying around the same time? Was it a case of like, Jordan, you qualified first? You went home, hey, guess what? It qualifies Olympics, and Alyce joins you a couple of days later. I mean, how did all that plan out?
JORDAN WOOD: I don't really remember.
ALYCE WOOD: I definitely remember. In 2016, the way Olympic qualifications work for us at a World Champ, you've got to qualify your country, and there's only a certain amount of spots available. So coming into our trials, the men had six spots available, and the women only had three. So just like a simple numbers game, there was way more odds for Jordan to be on the team than for me. And so his selection, the way their selection kind of worked out was different to ours. You couldn't get seconded and make the team, for an example. Whereas for the females, like Alyce and my K2 partner and I, we focused on the K2, and the way that worked was you had to win two out of three of the K2 races. So you wanted to win the first two, so you didn't have to race off. So he qualified before I did, just based on numbers, basically.
JORDAN WOOD: And I remember when... next, come back to me now. In 2016, in the qualifications, we had to get top three in the K2000 to make the team, and we ended up coming third. So I think that race might have been on like the first or second day at Nationals. So yeah, we sort of got our qualification to the Olympic team over and done with quite early on in the week. And Alyce had a K2 race off as well.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which I believe for you, Alyce, you beat some pretty prominent Olympians in Naomi Flood and Joey Bridgen Jones to get your spot there. And if I'm not mistaken, a couple of people that you looked up to, so that must have been a pretty exciting moment to kind of beat them and kind of get to go to the Olympics now.
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, I think, you know, Bully and I, we started paddling K2, I think it was at the start of 2015, and we went to the under 23 World Champs that year, and we got a medal and it was pretty exciting. And then coming home into the Olympic year and knowing there was only three spots available, basically it was going to be a K2 and a K1, and like I said, best out of three. And so we kind of said, well, our best shot is in the K2. We've never won the K2 in Australia before, but we may as well give it a red hot crack. And so we kind of just really had that trust and belief in each other. And I mean, still to this day, I think we ended up winning the first and the second trial, and we won the second trial by further, by more, sorry, than the first one. And it was such a shock to us, like winning that first one when we came off the water. Mum said to me, she was like, oh, I didn't expect that. Yeah, great. Thanks, Mum. And then she said that was a fluke. So to, I think everyone was just really shocked that we were able to do that. But I think still to this day, you know, I think Floody and Joe were better paddlers than us. You know, they were better than us in the KY, and they were stronger than us. They had all the experience in the world. But I think what made the difference for Bully and I was just the fact that we got on that start line, and we just had full trust in each other. And that's a really big thing in the K2 because it is such a hard boat to paddle. And if you're a little bit tense or a little bit too nervous or whatever, it can make the boat feel quite unstable or a little bit hard. And so, yeah, I just think on those two days, we were just able to fully put together our best races. And I mean, yeah, massive turning point both of our careers, so it's pretty exciting. But I mean, it just shows and it's taught us a lot in this last cycle that teamwork really can make a lot of difference at the top end of sport.
BEN WATERWORTH: Jordan yourself, you also sort of in the lead up to Rio had a big win beating Ken Wallace and Lachlan Tame World Championship silver medallist and obviously, you know, prominent names in the sport in Australia, partnering with Riley Fitzsimmons. I mean, what was that sort of like in that moment to kind of, you know, up seed those two, who I believe went on to win bronze, if I'm not mistaken, in Rio as well?
JORDAN WOOD: Oh, we never beat them.
BEN WATERWORTH: Didn't.
ALYCE WOOD: Maybe.
JORDAN WOOD: No, we definitely never beat them.
ALYCE WOOD: His face right now is, wow, did we beat them?
JORDAN WOOD: No, I can definitely safely say that we never beat Kenny and Lachy and Eddie.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, I'm blaming the AOC for bad research on their website here. This is all off. This isn't even Wikipedia. This is the AOC.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah. Coming into Rio, in 2015, Riley and I raced the Under 23 Worlds where we came away with the win. And I think from that moment on, we sort of started seeing the Olympics as a bit more of a possibility. And we could even potentially have a really good race push for that K2 spot, which didn't end up happening as we came third at Nationals behind Kenny and Lockie and Murray and Jake. But yeah, I think racing the K2000 set us up for the K4 as well, which we got fourth in 2015 at the World Champs. And then we followed that up the following year at the Olympics, and we got fourth again. So, yeah. Consistent. Consistently fourth.
BEN WATERWORTH: Consistently fourth. Hey, we're a co-Canadian Australian podcast, and we often celebrate fourth for Canada in the Olympics, in the Summer Olympics particularly, is almost as good as a medal. So, hey, we can take that on board. In terms of that debut Olympic experience, because you, I guess, both are sort of in that unique position where Tokyo and Rio are obviously very different Olympics in terms of experiences and how the world is back then to where it is now. So, kind of reflecting now that you're both dual Olympians and having experienced the uniqueness of Tokyo, are you kind of both glad that you were able to make your debut at a games like Rio where I guess, quote, it was normal compared to what you would have experienced at Tokyo?
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, I think that took away a lot of anxiety and a lot of kind of extra stress, I guess, around Tokyo. You know, having been to Rio and seeing a closing ceremony, for example, with a full crowd or having your parents and your family and friends in the crowd and things like that. I think, yeah, we're very thankful that that was our first one and Tokyo is our second. But I think, you know, as we sit here in quarantine and we've had a hell of a lot of time to reflect on Tokyo, I think Tokyo wasn't by any means bad. And I think what I've learned from it is different isn't always bad. Different can be good. And, you know, obviously there was things that we missed out on, like not having a crowd or not having a crowd at closing ceremony or, for instance, not going out to parties outside of the village, which was always a bit of fun in Rio. But what we lost there, we made up for, because, I mean, the spirit within the Australian team particularly and our building in Tokyo where everyone stayed was so electric. The way other athletes were celebrating our sport and vice versa and really getting around each other and the way our team itself got around each other and I just think that that is probably the first time it's happened to that extent maybe at an Olympics. And it was really cool, like very, very special. And the organizers were great and the volunteers were like the most excited people you've ever seen in your life.
JORDAN WOOD: I think looking back on Rio compared to Tokyo, I think for me, I'll remember Tokyo a bit more fondly. I'm not sure why. Just like Alyce said, the AOC just did a great job setting up our building. And, you know, it's the Australian way. Everyone's so friendly. And it was just a really good experience, especially considering the state the world's in at the moment, to even have an Olympics as well. And, yeah, I think that makes it even more memorable that it did go ahead. And, yeah, I've really enjoyed it.
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, and I think, I mean, one more thing about the difference, you know, in Rio, and it was to do time zones maybe as well, but, like, we raced at 2 a.m. Australian time, so no one really watched. But also in Rio, people at home were doing other things, and, you know, the Olympics wasn't really on the top of their to-do list at all, whereas, you know, this time around in Tokyo, everyone's stuck at home, and everyone's watching the TV, and very similar time zone. And just to hear stories of people talking about watching us and how it brought them joy in their lounge rooms, and that's what they were looking forward to when they woke up. It was pretty special, because we have been through a bit of a shit 18 months, and so to put smiles on people's faces, doing something that we love doing is very cool.
BEN WATERWORTH: Fantastic. And it's good to hear some of those stories, because I mean, I guess at the end of the day, no matter, you know, if it's your first, your fifth, or you know, in case of what Andrew Hoy is, your eighth Olympics. I mean, you know, Tokyo is always going to have that unique distinction of being such a unique Olympics that you'll always be able to share that you were a part of that. So it's kind of this unique moment in history where you'll be able to tell the grandkids that not only was I an Olympian, I was an Olympian at Tokyo, the weirdest Olympics that were ever were an Olympics.
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, and I think like going into the games, you know, there was all these stories about different athletes pulling out for various reasons. And, you know, the reason of pulling out because there was no crowd for us leaving into it, it was like, oh, like, yeah, it will suck that there's no crowds because it is cool to race in front of crowds, and it does give you a bit of that extra lift. But in hindsight, not having the crowds, like, did not affect you one single bit. When you're out on the water, you can't hear anything anyway. And you're bubbled off, like in Rio, you're bubbled off from the crowds anyway with, you know, transporting to and from. And obviously, the public isn't allowed into the back of house and vice versa. And so, yeah, it really did not make one single difference. But what it did do is highlighted the volunteers. And I tell you what, there's so many volunteers. There was a media report before we went over that said, like, they dropped 10,000 volunteers. And everyone was like, oh, my gosh, there's going to be none over there. There were so many volunteers. It was beautiful. They were brilliant.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, we talked a lot during our coverage of just always loving seeing the volunteers and just the smiles on their faces. And it's often what makes any sort of games. I mean, I was lucky enough to work during the Commonwealth Games and had to deal with a lot of the volunteers. And I mean, it was just incredible hearing their stories, too, just kind of why they were volunteering. And we all remember during Sydney how I think the volunteers remember got their own parade, didn't they? It was sort of that well received, basically. So I mean, it kind of makes the games, I can imagine, to interact with these people who are just wanting to experience an Olympic Games in any way they possibly can.
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, it's funny, actually. So when you go to an Olympics, you, and I'm assuming it was the same at the Comm Games, there's this thing where people exchange pins. And so, for instance, on your accreditation, you have pins. And as Aussie athletes, we are given Australian pins, so there's, you know, kangaroos, and there's like an Australian flag and whatever. And most people would try and find a German athlete and swap a German for an Australian, and you fill your lanyard with other countries. But I care, and I have like maybe five countries because of this, because the volunteers get coming up to me and saying, oh, can I swap a pin? And I couldn't say no, because they were so, so good. So I kept giving them Aussie pins, and all I have is Tokyo 2020 pins. I'm running out. And I have 15 of the same pins now.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which I can imagine, like, again, because it's probably not as easy to exchange pins in the villages as it would have been in Rio because of restrictions, right? So it made it a little bit more difficult?
JORDAN WOOD: Not so much.
ALYCE WOOD: I mean, people were very respectful, and it was a very swift and quick thing, but no, not really. I mean, it's always a bit of an awkward exchange, and it happens in about three and a half seconds.
BEN WATERWORTH: We were strictly told as employees, we were told, like, you know, you don't ask, don't, you know, whatever. So you follow the rules for a first couple of days, and then all of a sudden you realise, oh, fuck this. And then, like, kind of I had the lanyard, too, with just fill with them. And it was like, yeah. And by the end of it, you're exchanging, like, your clothes with team wear. And, you know, I got, like, Indian boxing gloves. I think, like, I got so much stuff.
ALYCE WOOD: I love that. We didn't actually extend any uniform. I think uniform for, I guess, Jordan and I, like, it's pretty special to have an Australian Olympic uniform. And, yeah, it's cool to swap a German top or an American top. But, I mean, the Aussie Olympic logo is the one that's actually special. It's too special to us. So I was trying to hold on to that and, yeah, the pins of the things, which I failed miserably this year, but that's OK.
JORDAN WOOD: We always get really good stuff as well. So I thought, oh, this is actually, like, yeah, really good, a really good product. So I sort of hang on to it a bit more. But I did a lot of uniform swapping when I was a junior and stuff for other countries' uniforms. So I think I might have gotten this uniform swapping out when I was quite young. And now I'm more than happy just to hang on to the Australian uniform.
BEN WATERWORTH: Just kind of keep that special and preserved and all that sort of stuff for all the memories that will eventually come with it. I mean, Jordan, you mentioned, of course, in Rio, fourth in the K4. You're also 11th in the K2 for yourself. Alyce, eighth in the K2. I mean, did you leave Rio, I guess, satisfied? Were you kind of expecting more? Kind of was it the goal to make a final? I mean, how did you both leave Rio feeling?
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I think we were pretty happy. Coming out of the World Cups and stuff, we had been sort of on the podium, but each World Cup there was one crew missing. So we knew we would be really close to the podium and if not challenging for it. So yeah, leaving Rio, we were definitely quite hungry for more. Yeah.
ALYCE WOOD: I think for us, we went in to Rio's, the underdogs, I guess, that maybe shouldn't have made their first Olympics that early. And we made the final and we were stoked with that. That was our goal. We probably went in ranked, I don't know, 16th or something. And so the final has eight people in it. So we're very, very happy with that. But in the final, and this is just a classic case of kayaking in outdoor sport, there was like a massive storm the night before and the course was littered with trees and debris and stuff. And about five metres into our race, we caught a massive banana leaf on our nose, which slows you down. And so we finished the final last, and I guess we'll never know how we were meant to go then, which is pretty hard because, you know, if we'd finish eighth with the best race of our career, we'd be stoked. But yeah, just to never know was hard, but in the same breath, still very, very, very happy to make that final. Our celebration after the semifinal was like we'd won a gold medal because that was just such a big achievement for us. So yeah, definitely left Rio content, but 100% knowing we can do better. And I think also left Rio knowing that we belong in that final and we belong in the best paddlers in the world, whereas previous to that, you'd look at the other girls like they were in a different league.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, a year later, it got even better for you both in the Czech Republic. You both walked away from the World Champs with a gold medal around your neck after yourself, Alyce, in the K1 1000 and Jordan for yourself in the K4 1000. I mean, what's that experience like to kind of leave both of the gold medal? And who got their gold first and kind of was a pressure on then the other to kind of, you know, back that up in the next event to win to win a gold as well?
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, well, Jordan, so Jordan was in the K4. They were two races before us.
BEN WATERWORTH: Oh, wow.
ALYCE WOOD: They're both 1000 metres, so a kilometre up from the finish line. And you normally hop on to your race about 25 minutes beforehand to paddle all the way up and do warm up and stuff. So the boys went, and I was still at the top end paddling around and trying to focus on myself. And I remember the big screens, which you can sometimes see, they were tilted towards the finish line. I couldn't see anything. There was big crowds, so you couldn't understand the microphone or whatever. So I had no idea how they went. And probably eight minutes later, I came down the course and came across first. And one of the first things I did was look over to the pontoon, and the boys had their podium track suit on, which meant they'd done okay, you know? Top three, happy day. So that was pretty special. Jordan can probably talk for watching the race or his race, so that was nice.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, when we finished our race, it was like obviously we were so excited to come away, to win and everything. And then I was like two seconds later, I was like instantly nervous for Alyce. But yeah, when Alyce crossed the line, I was just so excited. It was so special for both of us to win our first senior world championship medals within like 10 minutes of each other. So that was huge.
BEN WATERWORTH: Fantastic. I can imagine the party must have been pretty epic that night then.
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, I think it was. I think it was quite short because we were all so tired. And at the end of a big race week, so you peak a bit early and then you go home.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, wow, that's crazy. So was that sort of in the back of the mind and then kind of all the other events and successes you had in the lead up to Tokyo, was the delay something that worked to your benefit or was it maybe worked against your benefit? I mean, kind of how were you feeling in the lead up to just before the games were cancelled and then having to add another year to the schedule?
ALYCE WOOD: Oh, it's a hard question to answer. I think we're both young enough that adding an extra year wasn't an issue. We weren't counting down the days to retirement, for an example. So I feel for the athletes that were ready to retire, and maybe we are, maybe we aren't now, but those athletes that were carrying injuries or really kind of looking forward to that next milestone, I guess, I feel for them. But for us, the extra year, I can honestly say I don't reckon it helped nor hindered. I reckon what we produced this year probably would have been the same as last year. It's so hard to tell. Every year, you feel like you're going really well. So I feel like I improved this year, but was it? I don't know.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, it's super hard too. I find that's a great thing. I don't think it hindered or like Alyce said, hindered or made us better. But I think the way we approached it was really good. And especially being in Australia, we're in such a good position compared to the rest of the world. And we could pretty much train unhindered for a good portion of the year. So I think in compared to other countries, we definitely were in a better position.
ALYCE WOOD: I think, though, you look at what we had and what they didn't have and vice versa, we obviously had uninterrupted training, which is a huge benefit, but we had no international racing. Whereas the Euros, who are our main competitors, they had quite interrupted training, but they had international racing. So what's more important than the other? I don't know. I mean, Jordan and I, in both of our K2 heats, which is our first race internationally since 2019, we had shocking heats. Absolute barry crockers. But you have to get that out of your system when you first come back into international racing, and then you come good, and we came good. And we knew we would, because it's just like a training effect. It's just getting those nerves out of the way, and then you move into what you're good at through the rounds. And that's probably exactly how we were going to race, whether we had five international races under our belt or not.
BEN WATERWORTH: So going then into Tokyo, with that part out of the mind, I mean, were you both sort of looking to better what you achieved in Rio, was given the World Championship success you had in between Rio and Tokyo, was there genuine hope and desire to come away with the medal?
ALYCE WOOD: I think, like for me, for example, that World Championship win, that was in a non-Olympic distance. And so that was over a thousand metres. Our Olympic distance is 500. And so, you know, having that distance, I've always raced 500s. But for me, knowing that I can perform against the best in the world has been a massive benefit. In our case, too, that was our priority event. And everything we were producing at home was saying that we were going to be on the podium and we're going to be close to it. And so once we made that final, in the final, it was kind of anyone's race, really. It was just the hottest field ever. So I think at home, we definitely wanted to better our Rio performance, and we knew we could, and we knew we wanted to be on that podium. But yeah, you just don't know. And then in terms of my K1, I wanted to be in that final. No one's been in the final. Like an Aussie female hasn't been in the final since Sydney 2000, and so just making that final is a big deal. And I'm sure we'll talk about how the race is played out a bit later on. But just to make that final, that was huge for me.
BEN WATERWORTH: Just Jordan, before I get your viewpoint on that, I just want to just quickly, Alyce, when you're mentioning about the race you win at the World Championship, not an Olympic event, is there a reason why? Is it just the program's too stacked in the Olympics? I mean, why can't they include the K1000 at the Olympics?
ALYCE WOOD: I'm going to say politics. When you get to an Olympics, you can only have a certain amount of medal events and a certain amount of athlete quota spots and et cetera, et cetera. So again, it's a numbers game. And so the female Olympic races are a K1200 and then a K1, K2, K4, 500. So no 1000. But the men have a K1000. So all those three distances, K1, K2, sorry, 200, 500, 1000. They're all World Championship events and obviously pretty hotly contested at Worlds. But the Olympic program kind of gets skimped down a little bit. But yeah.
BEN WATERWORTH: Is that frustrating? Is that frustrating to be a World Champion in an event and you can't be an Olympic champion due to something like politics?
ALYCE WOOD: I think it is frustrating. But I mean, we know that. I think the most frustrating bit is for us is there's no funding on it. So even if you become a World Champion in that event, I didn't see a single dollar from that, apart from maybe I've picked up my own sponsors or whatever it is from that. But yeah, it's not recognised to be funded, which I mean, it is what it is. There has to be, obviously, money has to be positioned towards Olympic success and so that needs to be in Olympic events. But yeah, I mean, we've grown up knowing this. So yeah, it is what it is.
BEN WATERWORTH: Now, Jordan, I've got to ask now. I'm going to ask you the question first, because I don't trust the AOC's website now for this being correct based on their previous information. Now, I believe your qualification for the K2, you ended up beating Tom and John eventual gold medallists. Now, is that true that you beat them in the qualification race?
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, we did.
BEN WATERWORTH: Okay, good. Right. Thank you. AOC got something right there. So how are you feeling then going into your second Olympics and confident of sort of bettering your results from Rio?
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I think, especially in the K2, Riley and I have been quite consistent since 2018 onwards in the K2. We've been fourth or fifth every year, and even winning the under-23 world championships and coming third in the under-23 world championships. I think we'd shown we'd be sort of top five in the world, and sort of coming into the Olympics, we're feeling really good. All the times we're hitting in training and stuff, we're like, yep, we're on the money, we're on the money. And then, you know, come race day, the semi-final, there's good days in sport, and there's some bad days, and we just had a bad race. And I can't really put it down to anything yet, but it was one of those things that just didn't quite go to plan.
BEN WATERWORTH: Is it turned around slightly to get over that disappointment that your teammates go on to win a gold medal though? Because I can imagine that that is a great feeling to celebrate that. Obviously, you'd like to have the gold around your neck, but if you're not going to get the gold, the next best thing is have your teammates walk away with a gold medal.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I think them winning gold was, you know, we're obviously really excited for them, and stoked that they came away after the win, but we're obviously still disappointed for ourselves. But they did an awesome race, and in all honesty, it was probably one of the best K2000 races I've ever seen, and it was super close, sort of, you know, through the whole field. So they had to come away after the win. I'm so stoked for them. And yeah, for us, we, yeah, just didn't perform on the day we had to, unfortunately.
BEN WATERWORTH: In the K4, fourth and rear sixth then in Tokyo, so was that a similar thing that kind of, it just didn't come together on the day, the field had sort of improved over the five years, kind of what did all that come down to?
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I don't know.
ALYCE WOOD: I think we, I can quickly jump in here. So the K4 has changed since, again, politics, whatever, has changed from the thousand to the 500, the men, since Rio, so the boys were fourth in the K4, thousand in Rio, and it was a K4, 500 in Tokyo. So the event changes massively. You have your distance, so you change the type of athlete that's in there. But I'll let Jordan continue with his answer now.
BEN WATERWORTH: No, I like these technicalities. I like it. Good. My research department is failing me today, so I'll just point that out.
JORDAN WOOD: I should have probably clarified that. So yeah, when we won the K4,000 in 2017 as well, it was also not an Olympic event anymore, but it was a year after the Olympics. So it's still a strong field. But yeah, in training and stuff, we hadn't raced with that crew internationally, and we weren't quite sure where we would stack up, but we were really hoping for a podium, if not top five. So to sort of just fall that little bit short was a little bit disappointing. But yeah, I still think we had a good race, and we just put it all out there and raced to the best of our abilities. So we can't really be disappointed with that.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which I guess, at the end of the day, as you're saying, as long as you walk away aware that there was nothing left in the tank, you provided the best that you could out there. Yeah, there might be the disappointment of not getting a medal or sort of finishing where you would like to. But I guess on reflection, and clearly it's still very fresh in the minds, only barely a couple of weeks old, but is it something that can spur you on as well, kind of leading up to other events that I did the best I could, and this is where I can improve to go that little bit further for the next Olympics?
JORDAN WOOD: Um, yeah, I'm not sure about the next Olympics yet. I've been in the sport for a good 12 years now, and since you're in the womb, you've been in the sport for a while. I've been around the sport for 27 years. I think I really want to do a few other things at the moment. Wherever I keep paddling or not, you always remember those races, and you just really want to prove what you can do to the best of your abilities no matter what. That's sort of my main motivation anyway. Whatever happens in the future, I'll always race the same and just go out there and try my best. I always say racing is basically just trying really hard. So if you try really hard and you get sick, you might be disappointed because you get the result you want, but at the end of the day, that might be the best you can do on that day. So we'll see what happens though in the future.
BEN WATERWORTH: Never ask a returning Olympian fresh from the Olympics if they're going to go on. I know it's only three years, not four years this time around, but it's like when Daniel Craig famously said he would rather slit his wrists than play James Bond again. It's because he just finished filming a Bond film. So of course he's going to say that, isn't he?
ALYCE WOOD: We're used to answering that question. We've been asked it a hell of a lot.
BEN WATERWORTH: All right. Good. I'll just tick that off. Alyce asked the obvious question. Beautiful. All right. Done that one there. I mean, Alyce, in the K2, so finishing fifth on that one now, six tenths of a second doesn't sound like much, but I can imagine, I'm a Formula One fan, and six tenths is a lifetime in that sport. I mean, is it a similar case that when you look at the timing on how far you are off of, say, a bronze or a silver medal, that isn't as close as it seems, or I mean, how did you feel reflecting on that, the closest that you were six tenths away from an Olympic medal?
ALYCE WOOD: It's bloody close. We also are F1 fans. It's not like F1. Six tenths of a second, half a second is sweet fuck all, basically. So I think, you know, for us, that race, that final, it was the best race we could put together, and it was so dark reaching to end up fifth and so bloody close to the medals. It was so close from across the line, because you kind of cross the line, and then you make sure you can breathe, and then you look across. We didn't know what we got, you know? So that's how close it was. But I think we ended up with a PB. We ended up with an Australian record. The time we set was faster than the previous Olympic best, and we got fifth. We're now the sixth fastest time ever recorded. So if you told me a month ago that I was going to do a 137 in the K2 and get fifth, I would have absolutely laughed in your face and been like, no way. 137 will easily get you on the podium. But the girls that we raced this year, and I mean, Anna, my coach, she's a bit of a K2 legend of the past, and she's seen many generations of K2 athletes go through and female athletes go through. And even she said, this is the hottest field we've ever seen. This Olympics was the first Olympics. Again, politics coming to it. This Olympics was the first Olympics that each country could put in two boats per race. So in the K1 and the K2, not in the K4. So automatically, that makes the K1 and the K2 events stacked. You know, like the boys, for instance, you know, the other boys went on to win gold. Our boys were also in the mix. But you wouldn't see that at another Olympics. You wouldn't see where the second crew is. So for us, you know, there's two Hungarian crews in front of us who at any other Olympics, we would have got fourth, but not this time around. But yeah, just to be up with those girls and in such a historic race, it was the fastest race, whole race ever recorded, was just pretty cool, pretty gut-wrenching. But I mean, we don't come away with silverware, but we come away with a few records, which is pretty cool.
BEN WATERWORTH: And on that too, as you mentioned, I mean, the first Australian to make a final of the K1 since Sydney. I mean, do you walk away with that achievement on your shoulders as, you know, coming away satisfied, another Olympic final under your belt? Or did you feel that, again, that was another race where maybe you were aiming for a medal and didn't quite achieve what you're setting out for?
ALYCE WOOD: I think both of them. It's funny, actually, where we talk about Sydney and the K2 was the best result since 96, which is actually since Anna, our coach and her K2 partner, Katrin. And Katrin was then the one to make the final in Sydney. So I guess it's very similar to the partnership Bulli and I have, and it's kind of cool to take their mantle a little bit. I mean, they got a bronze in Atlanta, but we've had a faster than them, so we'll take that. The K1, I didn't expect to be on the podium. I would have loved to, obviously. Everyone loves to stand on the podium, but it's really hard to focus on more than one boat. And we spoke about Lisa Carrington, the New Zealander earlier, and she did four events, and that's huge for our sport, because to juggle so many different types of boats is really difficult. So we prioritized the K2, and that was exactly where we wanted to be. And the K1, for me, I mean, I haven't lost the K1 in Australia this Olympic cycle, and I've been paddling really well, and the K1, for me, just to make that final was a massive achievement. I think the day didn't pan out the way I expected, because the semifinal we had first up, and the semifinal is always the hardest race you'll do, because in our progression system, only two made it through, and Bully and my K2 partner was in the same semi. And then we had Lisa Carrington as well, and we had a whole host of other girls in there. So you assume Lisa is going to be one of the two, and then you've got to beat your best friend, and you've got to beat one of your good mates who's in the lane next to you or whatever. So to make the final was a massive relief. I think there was a lot of pressure put on me to make that final, both from myself, obviously, but also externally, just to be in that final and kind of achieve that expectation. I just was pretty emotional. But then the race after to see the boys, Jordan and Riley, and it was directly after, like, not make the final, it was also really, you know, obviously emotional for me to watch as Jordan's wife and one of Riley's good mates. And so I went from, like, pretty high to obviously wanted to be there for them. But then I had to kind of cut off and focus on myself and almost, you know, push aside the boys until later that afternoon. And I didn't really recover very well. Like, the semi was the hardest race I've ever had. And just I just couldn't, I don't know what happened in that hour and a half. But I hopped on the start line and I actually false started in the final, which I've never done before. So just, there was just a lot of emotions going through my body that I've just haven't dealt with before. And then I ended up, the race I put together wasn't great. It wasn't my worst, but it wasn't my best. It just wasn't good enough for an Olympic final. And that's just the way the cookie crumbles, I think. You know, to put together your best race day in, day out, which in our K2, for example, the days leading into that, we did a PB every race. And then you go into the K-line and the Saints, and my heat, my semi, I had two of the best races I've ever had. So to back up again, I mean, obviously you expect that, and you want that, but it just didn't happen. That's the Olympic game. And not everyone can win. And I think growing up, I wish people told me about the stories like this, rather than just the gold medal-winning performances, because I think when you talk to athletes that have almost made it, or something hasn't quite paid off for them, or they're like the inspiring stories, and they're really the ones that you want your kids to hear, because it is about resilience, and I can think of so many people before me that I just kind of aspire to be, and they're not so much always the gold medallists.
BEN WATERWORTH: For sure, for sure. It's also interesting to note that you are on Off The Podium, so therefore, technically, we should be celebrating the people. Who cares about those people who win medals at the Olympics? God, we're Off The Podium. We're here to celebrate all the people who don't win medals, clearly.
ALYCE WOOD: We're the demographics.
BEN WATERWORTH: Exactly. You're fitting in with our audience. We should always probably, I guess...
JORDAN WOOD: It looks like before the podcast, they're actually joking about that. We're like, oh, they're just getting all the athletes who just missed out on the podium.
BEN WATERWORTH: That's why we have Half Canadian, right? And then it works for us during the Winter Olympics, because Australia is like Canada in the Winter Olympics. We just missed out on the podium. It's a good balance there, really, to kind of keep people out there. You guys, I believe, went to the closing ceremony. You touched on that before, I think, Alyce, with that. What was that experience like to go in there? Obviously, both the ceremonies looked very odd compared to what we're used to, but generally, the closing ceremony is a lot more of a party atmosphere. Was it just up to the athletes to create the party going on there? Because it just seemed like a very odd experience, that closing ceremony.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, it was definitely different to Rio, whereas Rio was quite literally just like a massive party. It was loud. It was just like a massive Brazilian party, basically.
ALYCE WOOD: In Rio, it was such a party that once they had done all of the official stuff, they had all the floats and all the costumes and stuff. They let all the athletes in, and we were climbing on top of the floats, and they were giving their costumes to us. And then going back into the village, you have to clear security. It's kind of like airport security. And there was athletes dressed as trees going through the conveyor belt. That's how different it was. Jordan can continue.
JORDAN WOOD: Wow. Yeah, I think given the circumstances, the closing ceremony in Tokyo was sort of what you'd expect. But yeah, it definitely didn't have the same feel to it as the Rio closing ceremony. But yeah, it was good.
ALYCE WOOD: I think what was different about Tokyo, obviously, there wasn't a crowd. I mean, Rio is obviously a bit more of a party city than Tokyo, maybe, when you're thinking about exactly what Brazilians do and stuff, versus the Japanese. But what made Tokyo different, and what made that closing ceremony special, is that you actually listened to the speeches, and you actually took in things, because it's a pretty big milestone, I guess, to make it all the way to Tokyo, and to be there in such a crazy world. For instance, when they hand over the flag from Tokyo or from Japan to France, and then they went live to France, it was really eerie, because we were in this ginormous stadium with just athletes, and I guess a few delegates, and it was quiet. And then they shot to the screen, and you guys would have seen it on TV, and they were in Paris, and there were some athletes that had already flown from Tokyo to Paris there with their medals, some French athletes, and there was so much crowd, and there were just absolute party scenes. And it was just like, you couldn't get to more opposite views, I guess. But yeah, it was pretty special to be in that stadium, just because you knew what it meant. Yeah, and I guess that was Tokyo in itself. Like in Rio, when you finished racing, you went looking for parties, and you went looking for good times. Whereas in Tokyo, when you finished racing, you went looking for stories and experiences. You know, we finished racing, and straight away the first thing we wanted to do, they had two dining halls. One dining hall was normal, just anything, basically, whatever you want, they'll have. Then they had another dining hall called Casual Dining, and it was like traditional Japanese food. And you didn't really want to dabble in that before you raced. But after you raced, you really wanted to go to that because you wanted to experience that. So, yeah. Closing ceremony was different, but yeah.
BEN WATERWORTH: Can you confirm one thing to me, though? I heard that they didn't have McDonald's in the village this time around. Is that true?
ALYCE WOOD: That is true, and I still don't know why.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's disappointing. I thought that would be the best bit about it. Free McDonald's after you've finished competing, right? Like, why wouldn't you go crazy?
ALYCE WOOD: In Rio, we went to get McDonald's afterwards, and the line-up was two and a half hours long.
BEN WATERWORTH: Holy crap. Free McDonald's were two and a half hours. You can go past that one. That's crazy. And I guess also too, because I'm guessing you didn't arrive in Tokyo till after the opening ceremony, right? Because it was sort of staggered where you could arrive, and given you weren't competing till the second week, I'm assuming that you weren't able to get there until after the opening ceremony, correct?
ALYCE WOOD: So we, on the opening ceremony day, we flew from Brisbane to Sydney, and we stayed in the airport hotel in Sydney. So we watched the opening ceremony from a hotel room in Sydney, individually. That was weird. And then we hopped on a flight the next morning to Tokyo, and we went, we didn't go to the village straight away, because we can't really get on the course when the rollers are there, because they race all day and we use the same course. So we went, we did a training camp at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic course, which is about 40 minutes away. So we stayed there for a week and then went into the village a couple of days before we raced. So yeah, opening ceremony experience is super weird. We were also obviously wanting to recover, and Australia has that extra hour on top. So we were in bed, and we just were so tired, but just waited for Australia to walk out, and then we turned the TV off.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, because it was so interesting watching so many athletes on social media, particularly, say, for the closing ceremony, sort of going, hey, just watching the closing ceremony from home or in quarantine. And it's like, this is odd. Shouldn't you be there? It's kind of, you know, so, so strange. So obviously, I've touched on the Paris question. I won't ask you that again, because obviously you're still sort of recovering. But one thing you guys sort of do outside of, I guess, competing on the international stage is you run a bit of a program to help, I guess, aspiring paddlers out there. Can you tell us a little bit more about sort of how this came about and what exactly you are trying to achieve with this?
ALYCE WOOD: Yeah, I think when we went into lockdown last year and we got to spend a bit more time at home and paddle on our own waterways, which we don't normally paddle on, we saw how many paddlers are out there, and we kept getting kind of stops and people asking questions and stuff. So, you know, everyone always says to us, oh, why don't you become a coach? But I mean, first and foremost, we can't actually coach people when we're training at the exact same time. But secondly, like I think knowing the reach we have internationally within the paddling community is pretty cool. So we put together a little book and little e-book and kind of put all of our thoughts on paper about paddling from obviously, you know, the technical side of things to how to get strong, to setting up your equipment, to, you know, we've got training programs or training sessions and things to think about, different cues to keep in your mind. And yeah, we saw those e-books online and it's gotten crazy. We didn't really expect it, I guess. We were like, oh, when we launch, we're like, oh, we'll be happy if we sell, you know, 20. But just the reach that we've had in Australia, but mainly internationally is pretty cool.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, the reach has been unreal. And, you know, we've had a lot of positive feedback about it as well. And especially people who are, you know, paddling locations where there isn't access to like a specific club or they have a training group who are training by themselves. And yeah, we've, you know, the feedback's been unreal. So it's been very encouraging.
ALYCE WOOD: I think what's cool about being an athlete is the fact that, you know, obviously Jordan and I we're not physiologists, we're not nutritionists, we're not biomechanists, you know, we're not qualified in those areas at all. But when you're an athlete, you have to take control of yourself. So you have to kind of invest in learning about those areas with those experts. And so like our paddler booklet that was made is kind of based on the knowledge that we have of paddling, which your average show blow paddling down the creek, will never have access to. You know, they might have a club coach within their little club system, but unless you kind of live and breathe it every day, you don't learn all these extra things that we know. So why keep it bottled up? You know, it's information that should, you know, people should have access to. And so, yeah.
BEN WATERWORTH: What is it? Where can people find out more?
ALYCE WOOD: So you can go to paddler.co and I mean, we're bad spellers, so paddler.co. And you can, yeah, basically download it or follow us on Instagram at paddler. And yeah, I mean, we've gone a little bit quiet on it, obviously since being at the Olympics. We've been a little bit busy, but socials are coming back online this week and everything is back to normal as of this week. But we also send out free emails every week with different paddling advice and things that we are thinking about at the time. So you don't have to sign up for the book, but yeah, we love it. Why not share what we know?
BEN WATERWORTH: Exactly. That's what you want to do out there and spread it out there to different places. I mean, I'm sort of intrigued to see how the take up would be in somewhere like Tasmania. We had Dan do quite well in the slalom, but I mean, is there any flat water Tasmanian canoeists out there or kayakers out there that I need to be aware of? Or do we need more? Do we need to get more Tasmanians?
ALYCE WOOD: We've sold a few books in Tasmania, actually. So we are, because we call it paddling, you know, there's a real good crossover with ocean skis, a little bit of a crossover with surf skis, but ocean skis and kayaking is very similar, and there's quite a few ocean ski paddlers in Tassie. Which is crazy because it's so cold.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, well. Yeah, I can imagine you guys aren't sitting there with a heater on right now, like I am. So it's probably... So that's the beauty about Brisbane in 2032. You know, technically we are having the Winter Olympics because they will be held in winter in Australia. So, you know, and they say that Australia could never host a Winter Olympics. Well, they've been proven wrong. We like to close out our interviews with a series of fun questions, kind of getting to know you a little bit. Now this is based on a little questionnaire that the Canadian Olympic team used to do back before Rio and Pyeongchang. And we often, you know, use a different athlete that they've used, and we try and find an athlete from your sport. So I have found a Canadian paddler by the name of Cameron Smedley. Now, are we aware of Cameron Smedley at all? Do we know who he is? Okay, well, then that doesn't help on some aspects, but it does on Benny, because you won't be able to, you know, guess his answers. Not that you're going to, you're going to be answering your own. But good to see you. So, alright, I'm going to start off and just both of you chime in with your answers. I'm not going to force it down both of you. If one of you want to abstain from answering, that's completely fine. If you could choose any Olympic host city, where would it be? Sydney. Sydney. Recycle it. Okay. It was a good city to have, you know, but they've got half the facilities ready to go, right? Probably more than half. So, you know, get on the page there. What is the weirdest? Oh, sorry, Jordan. Go. I thought you were both saying Sydney. How rude of me. Go for it, Jordan.
JORDAN WOOD: Hold on. I'd like to see it go back or go to somewhere in Canada, like Vancouver, maybe.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, they had the winter.
JORDAN WOOD: They give them the summer.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah. Well, I mean, I lived in Victoria there, so I kind of, you know, considered the summer hub of Canada. So, I mean, you know, share it between Vancouver and Victoria. It would work. It's sunny enough there in summer. They would like it. Yeah, exactly. I like that thinking, Jordan. Good, good answer. What is the weirdest instruction a coach has ever given you?
JORDAN WOOD: Oh, they're endless.
ALYCE WOOD: I'm not sure how to take this nowadays with all the commentary around it, but paddle like Pamela Anderson, which means basically sit up straight with your boobs out. Here's a little bit inappropriate. So in hindsight, not great, but only sit up straight.
BEN WATERWORTH: Do the men get the same, Jordan?
JORDAN WOOD: No, I can't remember, but yeah, definitely there's been a few times you get some technique advice, and you sort of go, I don't think that's going to work. I don't think that's the thing.
BEN WATERWORTH: I'm surprised I don't turn around and say, we'll paddle out David Hasselhoff, maybe, for the men. That could work. Now, homework for you both. If you want to do it, you don't have to. It's completely fine. On this questionnaire, they ask Cameron to draw a picture of himself. So if you both feel bored in quarantine and want to do some homework, draw a picture of yourselves and send it in to us, and we'll put it on our social media. Do you take dick figures? Absolutely, of course. No, that's completely fine. Dick figures are very acceptable. What is your favourite workout?
JORDAN WOOD: I love going for a mountain bike ride.
ALYCE WOOD: I'm lying, paddling.
BEN WATERWORTH: My body is made to paddle.
ALYCE WOOD: My body is not made for land exercise.
JORDAN WOOD: I do so much paddling, I feel, and whenever I get to go out on my mountain bike, it's just really special.
BEN WATERWORTH: Perfect, perfect.
JORDAN WOOD: I really enjoy it.
BEN WATERWORTH: Paris 24, if you get good enough, there you go, quit the quit the kayaking and go on the mountain bike. There's an opportunity. If you could have lunch with any one person, who would it be? Ah, nice.
JORDAN WOOD: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
BEN WATERWORTH: Ah, there you go.
JORDAN WOOD: I'm reading his book at the moment. He seems like a very interesting person.
BEN WATERWORTH: Nice. That would be one of those, sort of, if you expand that into the who or the three people you'd go out to dinner with. I mean, Ash Barty, Arnold Schwarzenegger. I mean, that would be a fun night, I could imagine. Jesus. That would be a good invitation to have. What is your favourite sandwich?
JORDAN WOOD: Chicken Schnitty.
BEN WATERWORTH: Oh, good choice. Oh, look at that. The Australian and the good. I like it. Making me hungry. Can't really have too many of them in quarantine right now. So as soon as you get out of quarantine, is it like straight to the Schnitty and the Vegemite and cheese?
ALYCE WOOD: We actually had a party last night for dinner, and it was alright.
BEN WATERWORTH: So they're amping up the food there. I like it. Good job. Now, again, extra homework. If you want to do it, draw a picture of a Canadian animal. So...
ALYCE WOOD: Beaver.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yes. What else? Beaver. Yeah. Go for it. Although it looks like Cameron's drawn a... I think it's a Canadian goose. I don't even know what that is. But it looks weird. Whatever. Good job there, Cameron. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? What?
JORDAN WOOD: Mm-hmm.
BEN WATERWORTH: Um... Embarrassing the wife, Jordan. I like it.
JORDAN WOOD: Or whatever it is that Deadpool has, whatever that is.
BEN WATERWORTH: Sassy mouth, like quips. And, uh, yeah, go along with that. What's wrong with... I'm going to embarrass you now. What's wrong with superhero movies, Alyce? Come on, now.
ALYCE WOOD: I'm more of a rom-com type of girl.
JORDAN WOOD: That works.
BEN WATERWORTH: Go see Free Guy when you get out. Quite funny. So if you like Ryan Reynolds, it's sort of not really superhero, more video game-y, but it's actually quite good. Jordan, are you a DC or a Marvel man?
JORDAN WOOD: Um, I don't really discriminate. I don't really know the difference, but...
BEN WATERWORTH: As long as it's good.
JORDAN WOOD: I watch both. Boogey-asm. Good.
BEN WATERWORTH: All right. Good answer. Um, what is the best candy in the world?
JORDAN WOOD: Um... Sour straps. Yeah, I would agree with that. Sour straps are delicious. But they have to be the strawberry sour straps.
BEN WATERWORTH: Okay, right. Has to be specific. Okay, so when you find something on Netflix, you're eating the strawberry sour straps. That's the agreement there. As a kid, who was... Which team was your favourite sports team?
ALYCE WOOD: Um, Brisbane Lions.
JORDAN WOOD: I don't think I really followed...
ALYCE WOOD: Jordan doesn't follow teams.
BEN WATERWORTH: Too busy watching superhero movies.
ALYCE WOOD: The first team he followed is bloody the F1 team since watching Drive To Survive, and now he's a...
BEN WATERWORTH: Nothing wrong with that. Oh, well, okay, I was about to ask what team. Now, please tell me it's only McLaren because of Riccardo. That's the only reason?
JORDAN WOOD: No, I just really like the history of McLaren. I think they've been at the forefront for such a long time, especially being like a private team as well, not like a big car manufacturer either.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah. See, growing up in my house, McLaren used to be a swear word. As a Ferrari fan, I wasn't too keen on them, but I can't come around. I mean, you can't help but like them with Ricardo driving for them. So did you guys follow the sport before Drive To Survive, or did Drive To Survive turn you into F1 fans?
JORDAN WOOD: Drive To Survive definitely turned us into F1 fans. Now we're upset.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's working. That's what they wanted to do. Look at that. It's working. That's great. So does that then lead you to getting to Albert Park one year if you haven't already been one time?
JORDAN WOOD: We wanted to go this year.
BEN WATERWORTH: Sort of got cancelled. It's worth it. I mean, if I could recommend anything to do, going to a Grand Prix is such an incredible experience. And yeah, Melbourne is just the second best race I've ever been to in the world. I'll say Montreal does a very good Formula One race. But you know, Albert Park is incredibly special. And I will say, just as a subtle plug for the sport of Formula One, my idol growing up, Michael Schumacher, there's a Michael Schumacher documentary dropping on Netflix in September. So if you like...
JORDAN WOOD: I really can't get there.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, very much so. Looking forward to how that goes. And also there, Alyce, Brisbane Lions. I mean, you know, I'm a Carlton supporter. I mean, Brisbane aren't the worst team I could hear. I've heard plenty of Essendon supporters recently, so they've been blacklisted from the show. But that's another story. What is your favourite sports movie?
JORDAN WOOD: Cool running. Cool running, for sure.
BEN WATERWORTH: Great answer. Yes, absolutely. Is there any, I seem to be asking this a lot to our guests on the show, because obviously there are certain sports movies you know from certain sports, but are there any kayaking movies out there?
JORDAN WOOD: I'd say definitely not.
ALYCE WOOD: I think there's a couple of like things, like the Red Bull TV with a few international Red Bull paddlers, but not really.
BEN WATERWORTH: I'm surprised James Bond could do a canoeing scene, couldn't he? Yeah, I mean, it just depends on the type, you know, because we had Kerry Potter on recently and she talked about volleyball being in Top Gun, so she's like, does that count? Well, sort of. So, I mean, you know, canoeing in a James Bond movie. I mean, he's fenced before, he's bobsled.
ALYCE WOOD: A lot of people canoe in kayaking movies, for sure. When we go to school or corporate, can you say, who used to paddle kayaking before? Most people put their hands up, so I'm sure it's in movies.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, we'll find. People can write in. It's probably an obvious one that we're missing out on here. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
ALYCE WOOD: Pretty happy with the Gold Coast. Yeah? Yeah.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, you're allowed to stay there.
JORDAN WOOD: Yeah, I don't know. I think we're very lucky where we live.
ALYCE WOOD: We'll take Queensland at the moment. I feel like Queensland is dodging COVID bullets left, right and centre.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yes.
ALYCE WOOD: So happy days.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yes, very much so. And 11 years' time, it's going to be an Olympic city up that way. So again, you know, I know you're not focused on Paris right now, but just saying, like, keep it going for another 11, you know? Come on, it's not that far away, right?
ALYCE WOOD: Maybe our kids will.
BEN WATERWORTH: Hey, exactly. You could have 11-year-olds going to them, and that was Youngest Ever Olympians, basically. Set some records. Guys, it's been a lot of fun. Obviously, we got you to plug Paddler before, but in terms of personal Instagram, Twitter, places like that, if you want to plug anything, take this opportunity. Plug where people can follow and start up to date with what you guys are up to.
ALYCE WOOD: Basically, well, I'm on Instagram a fair bit. Alyce Wood, underscore. Jordan is kind of. He shares a lot of what I share.
JORDAN WOOD: If anyone wants to follow me on my Instagram, jordan94wood. Sometimes I post twice a week. Sometimes I won't post for a year.
ALYCE WOOD: And a lot of the time, it's that dog. If you want kayaking content, follow me. If you want Beagle content, follow Jordan.
BEN WATERWORTH: I think Jordan just got more followers. Let's be honest, it's all about the dogs, right? How does your Beagle not have its own Instagram? I mean, my cat has its own Instagram.
ALYCE WOOD: At home with the Beagle.
BEN WATERWORTH: Wow. Perfect. That's why you do these interviews, is just to get the grand followers up for your dog. That's kind of what it comes down to.
ALYCE WOOD: At home with the Beagle is inter-famous.
BEN WATERWORTH: Wow. That's good. Parents are Olympians, grandparents are Olympians. I mean, my goodness, this is one spoiled dog. That's all I'll say. Guys, it has been a lot of fun having you on the show today to learn everything about the sport and about your careers and everything. And Bargrit, I don't care what you both say. Good luck for Paris in 2024. I'm sure we'll be cheering you both on in three years' time. And a massive thanks to both Alyce and Jordan. They're fun, insightful, and love that chat. And it's a sport, as I said in that interview, and we said a lot during Tokyo, that it's just such a fun sport, canoe, kayak. Honestly, more entertaining than rowing. And I like their reference in there that, well, they're probably smarter because rowers go backwards. So therefore, canoers and kayaks go on forward. So they're definitely more smarter athletes. No offence to our rowing athletes on there. We'll have some rowing athletes coming up soon, actually. So if you're listening to this, future rowing athletes, it's all in good fun. Please still come on the show. Next week, very, very exciting. Another taste, this is three weeks in a row now that we've got athletes from sports that we've never had on the show. Our very first gymnast on the show next week, trampolinist, to be precise, and Australia's only ever Olympic medallist in the sport of gymnastics, Jai Wallace. Jumping Jai, well, the other jumping Jai, there were two jumping Jais in Sydney. One was referred to as jumping Jai, but we all know that Jai Wallace is also a jumping Jai. And a great chat with Jai Wallace goes into his history, how he got into the sport, a unique way of getting in to professional trampolining, essentially, rather than just the fun trampolining that all Australians like to do in the backyard. Talks is all about the experiences in the 90s of the world circuit, and what it was like when it was announced that trampolining was going to be an Olympic sport, and just why he seemed destined to become an Olympian. A very fun story about his history around the Olympics and how it all just seemed to come together for him to become an Olympian, and in his own home country as well. And we also go into a lot of details talking to him about why his silver medal win is often more remembered than some of Australia's gold medal winners from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. So great chat with Jai. I know you're going to enjoy it, so make sure to tune in to that one next week. In the meantime, you know what to do at this point on. Subscribe on all the relevant podcast channels so you don't miss any episode. Go back and listen to our past ones and stay up to date with our future ones as well. Leave us some feedback. We'd love to hear from you. And social media, of course, Twitter, Instagram, as I say, Spotify, that's not quite social media. Do that in the whole subscribe to the podcast things. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, they're the ones I'm trying to say. Stay up to date with everything to do with Off The Podium. Shoot us a message, say hello, tell us who you'd like to have on the show. If there's anyone in particular you'd like us to track down and get on there, and let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you. So plenty of exciting interviews and great things to come along the way. Thanks again to Alyce and Jordan. My name is Ben. This has been Off The Podium and we'll speak to you next time. Good night.
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