'You've got to keep at it': 76-year-old paddler sets out to win international canoe title

After surprising himselfin one of his first canoe races, Jon MacQueenmade a promise to himself to keep practising and improving until he could at least come within spitting distance ofthe front runners.

"I said, 'I'm going to keep doing this until the guys up front, I can see the back of their T-shirts,'" saidthe 76-year-old Saint John resident. "Now, they have to read the back of mine."

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Next week, MacQueen willwave goodbye to New Brunswick for the summer as he sets out to defend a series of Canadian and international championships that have secured his crownas the fastest paddler over50.

"I never even spent much time in a canoe before I turned 50,"MacQueensaid from the seat of his carbon-fibre canoe on Lily Lake in Saint John. "But now there's no place I'd rather be."

The seniorturnsheads as he slicesthrough the surface of the water, blowing past paddle boats and kayakers.

He'sclearlythe fastest personon thelake, makingpeoplepoint in aweand ask for photos once they catch up.

"Am I the fastest of them all? Well that's what I'll soon find out," MacQueensaid.

Last year, he captured the title of national champion of the United States Canoe Association by placing first in the soloC-1Grand Veterans 2 category as well as being first in the doubles C-2 category.

"But those trophies are only thanks to everyone who really ever helped," MacQueensaid. "Even in the smallest way. Because even though it says my name on them it really should be the hundreds of people who have helped me along the way."

He said his most difficult issue with racing at an advanced age is getting out of hisown way.

"You got to keep at it and you got to get rid of a lot of 'stinkingthinking,'" MacQueensaid. "Because people I went to high schoolwith, they'veaged horribly,some ofthem,becauseof what they are allowing themselves to dofor exercise."

MacQueenwill compete inpaddlingcompetitionsacross Canada, the United States and abroad, hoping to capture championships and defend titles in both solo and team races.

His summer will wrap up in China in late October.