Hobbling out of the water with crutches is Dane Jackson – a man who continues to defy logic to underline his greatness in the sport.
Five weeks ago, Jackson suffered the biggest injury of his career, breaking two bones in his right leg and sustaining damage to his knee ligaments and calf muscle.
It’s an injury that should have dashed his hopes of competing at the International Canoe Federation Canoe Freestyle World Championships in Plattling, Germany.
But Jackson is no ordinary athlete.
Jackson is a multiple world champion who shows no fear, continuing to push boundaries in Canoe Freestyle by pulling off extraordinary feats.
Should Jackson capture his 10th senior world title in Plattling this week, it would arguably be his most extraordinary feat.
But Jackson insists he is out there to have fun and enjoy being part of the World Championships again.
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“Luckily the injury is in the lower half of my body, so the doctor said you can’t make it worse by competing at the World Championships, so I got the go-ahead to paddle here,” said Jackson.
“I was ready to come here and just hang out and support but the fact that I get to paddle, still be a part of it, hang out and do the best rides I can is amazing.
“I never thought I would be doing my ride, getting out and asking someone to carry my boat and giving me my crutches but it is what it is, and a lot of people are helping me out and being really nice.
“It’s been an interesting experience so I am just here to do the best that I can and whatever happens, happens, and I am just stoked to see how this week goes.”
Considering the amount of insane waterfalls Jackson has dropped down from in his career, it is amazing that he has avoided injury up until now.
But the 31-year-old’s lucky streak ended when he was ripped from his boat in the Mistassinni River in Quebec, Canada.
“It’s a rapid that I have run a number of times,” said Jackson.
“You move around one much larger feature, work behind it and then work back left around some more big features, but unfortunately I had some pretty terrible timing with the curler that you are supposed to go through, and it threw me into the big pit.
“I tried my best to stay in control, but it wasn’t happening, I eventually lost my paddle and at that point I had to swim.
“I hadn’t swam in six years so to make that decision was not something I took lightly.
“Unfortunately, it happened so fast that I couldn’t quite get my legs out in time.
“I didn’t even know how bad my leg was at first until I tried to stand on it.
“It is a big injury, but it could have been a lot worse.
“Luckily my ACL and meniscus are intact so it could have been worse in a lot of ways, no surgery, I get to paddle here and I will take three or four months off after this.”
Jackson revealed that he had torn his MCL and calf muscle and had sustained impact fractures to his femur and tibia in his right leg.
But the American paddler was given the all-clear to compete as he featured in the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado before heading to Plattling.
“I have been really fortunate that I have never got an injury that has been substantial,” said Jackson.
“I have had some smaller things, but this is clearly going to be a long-term injury so it’s a different experience and obviously painful.
“But in the end I get the ability to still be at the World Championships.
“If it was two weeks earlier, I would have said that it hurts a little bit too much to compete.
“Three or four weeks from now when I am starting the recovery I wouldn’t have paddled as I would hate to retear it more, so the timing worked out amazingly and the fact I get to paddle is fantastic.”
Returning to Plattling brings back great memories for Jackson who starred when the German town last staged the World Championships in 2011.
That year saw Jackson win the men’s junior kayak crown before clinching his first senior titles in the men’s squirt and men’s canoe.
Jackson is used to competing on all fronts but will now focus on just the men’s kayak as he attempts to win the event for the fourth time in succession and sixth in total.
“This is the first time since 2007 that I have only done one class which is a strange experience,” said Jackson.
“I was supposed to do C1 here, but I still can’t quite bend my knees.
“I thought I am not even going to attempt that.
“It’s super weird only doing one class, the schedule feels a lot more open.
“It’s definitely a change of pace from 2011 when I did all four classes, but I just happen to be back in Plattling and it’s going to be a great time.”
Jackman progressed to the quarter-finals of the men’s kayak after making the top 20 but he has played down his chances of taking the title this time around.
“This would be my sixth men’s gold in kayak, and it would be my 12th gold in total including juniors,” said Jackson.
“Any medal here would be my 22nd.
“Winning is fantastic and I am fortunate to have had that experience.
“It’s an amazing experience but the rest of it is also awesome, like the paddling with everyone and hanging out.
“Nobody comes here not trying to win so I am going to do my best to do the best possible.
“I love coming together with these people I haven’t seen for so long, back in a place that I had an amazing time back in 2011 and looking to progress in each round as I go and keep getting better as I go through.
“Once the leg is in the boat, it is locked in.
“I have still got the upper body, so it worked out really well in that sense.”
Pictures by Peter Holcombe
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