I was born on a blustery cold February night in 1982, the third and final child of Madeleine Turcot and Richard Hall. I was often told that I was a mistake by my elder brother James and sister Erin. I was, consequently, often told I wasn’t a mistake by my mother. My father remained suspiciously mute on the subject.
Despite my initial insecurity about my belonging on this earth, I was apparently a fun kid who laughed a lot. I seem only to remember my older brother holding me under pillows when he discovered I had a mild form of claustrophobia. Or, my sister loving me so much she decided to help make room for three adult teeth. It is questionable whether or not that room was needed so early on, but the room was made nonetheless.
I was a good student in elementary school at Cedar Park in Pointe-Claire. I got along well with my peers and teachers. I, like most boys with lots of energy, frequented the principles office for minor misdemeanours like snowballs or talking too loudly. Out of the many trips to that office one in particular stands out. My mother, who is probably the best elementary school teacher on earth, happened to be my teacher for one period in my second or third year. I think it’s fairly obvious that I took this to mean that I had some privileges in that class. Shockingly for me my mother disagreed. I wound up in the Principles office very early in the first term. We didn’t have that problem again.
It was in grade four that I discovered reading. Literally, in fact, because I couldn’t read much more than “See Jane See Spot” books until I was about eight or nine. I blame it on my brother asphyxiating me and my sister’s early and blunt forays into dentistry. Despite those obstacles the first real novel I read was The Call of the Wild by Jack London. After that the flood gates opened and I haven’t looked back. I feel obliged to mention that I also read Tolkien’s The Hobbit around then as well. The reason I mention this is that those of you who know me, know how influential the sequel to that little novel has been in my life.
Before I head into my lurid adolescent years I should mention that the Pointe-Claire Canoe Club opened its water treatment plant doors in 1989. I was seven and made a member along with my family. I don’t know if I actually went to the club that year, but shortly thereafter I was tipping or sinking whatever boat my parents forced me into.
My time at Lachine High School was a great time for me. I made some dear friends who, though I haven’t seen as much as I’d like since, I still think about all the time. One friend in particular, Liam Henderson, changed me on a fundamental level and made me look at life and realize that if we don’t live life to the fullest we’re wasting our time, and disrespecting those who have.
I read a lot, did at best, average in school and trained. I wasn’t one of those kids who only trained and that was all I wanted. I was one of those kids who slept through morning practice, and needed some serious motivation to ensure I would go to all my trainings. My mother, a French Quebecer, provided me with that motivation. She provided it in the way only a Catholic raised Quebecer of that generation can, through guilt. She wielded guilt, like Aragorn wielded Anduril on the plains of Gondor, with precision and efficiency. Needless to say it worked. I will be attending therapy to mend the scars left by my mothers deftly aimed guilt trips. Though not with my sister, who luckily for mouths everywhere, choose psychology over dentistry.
It was Christmas 1997 that my brother gave me the best gift I have ever received: The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. I can remember when I had finished reading The Hobbit, that I saw this other novel by the same author on a shelf. I was scared of the cover (Gandalf the Grey with his staff lit up, walking through a mountain pass somewhere in Middle Earth), and dismayed by its size. I never even tried to read it and always felt a little nervous of the novel. When my brother gave it too me that Christmas I started it right away. The time was right. I read that novel twice in two weeks. I’m not ashamed to say I shed tears at the end of the first reading. Something clicked. I am a fan of the books, I enjoyed the movies thoroughly but I did not dress up or wait in line to see the movies, I do not (as of yet) own any of the swords. I am the proud owner of a first edition of the book as well as numerous second or rare editions. Ebay and boredom in training camps can be dangerous. It’s my biography and that digression was necessary.
A few years later in the summer of 1999 I would go on to win Junior Worlds. An accomplishment I will always be proud of. I think I was probably the least surprised by that outcome and I was REALLY surprised.
After that it gets boring. I made a lot of teams, was carded (nationally funded) then not carded, then carded again, travelled and competed. I competed and won gold through a technicality at the Pan Am Games in 2003. . My first coach, Jan Kruk who taught me the fundamentals of paddling and racing, retired early this millennium and I foundered for a couple of years until my good friend, Mike Creamer, took over. For the past four years I’ve been working with him to make this dream of mine come true. I raced at various World Cup regattas until 2005 when I finally made it to the World Championships in C-4 1000m. In 2006 we tagged a silver medal in that same event and in 2007 finished 7th.
Career Highlights
2008
Olympic Games – Beijing, China – C-1 1000M 3rd
Overall World Cup Champion
ICF World Cup # 3 – Poznan, Poland – C-1 1000M 1st
ICF World Cup # 2 – Duisburg, Germany – C-1 1000M 1st
ICF World Cup # 1 – Szeged, Hungary – C-1 1000M 3rd
2007
Senior World Championships – Duisburg, Germany – C-4 1000m 7th
ICF World Cup # 1 – Zagreb, Croatia – C-1 1000m 2nd
2006
Senior World Championships – Szeged, Hungary – C-4 1000m 2nd
ICF World Cup # 2 – Duisburg, Germany – C-1 4 x 200m 1st
2005
Senior World Championships – Zagreb, Croatia – C4 1000m 5th
2004
World Cup – Racice, Czech Rep – C-4 1000m 1st
2003
Pan American Games – Santo Domingo, (Rep.Dom) – C-1 1000m 1st
Pan American Games – Santo Domingo, (Rep.Dom) – C-1 500m 3rd
1999
Junior World Championships – Zagreb (CRO) – C-1 1000m 1st