Scottish double Olympic canoeist, adventurer and paddle designer Alistair Wilson dies aged 84

A Scottish sprint canoeist who first took to the water on a homemade raft and went on to twice compete in the Olympics has died aged 84.

Alistair Wilson, of Lendalfoot in South Ayrshire, died on November 19 at his home, which overlooks the rocky coastline where he first forged his love for paddling. He hand built his first kayak aged 16 after raising the money by selling his stamp collection.

In an interview with The Scotsman earlier this year, Mr Wilson said: “When I sat in the water and took my first paddle stroke, that was my life changed completely. I launched the boat at Lendalfoot and to rise over the water easily with the backdrop of Ailsa Craig and the Mull of Kintyre was just beyond belief.”

Alistair Wilson, a double Olympian sprint canoeist, adventurer, inventor and engineer, photographed earlier this year at home in Lendalfoot. PIC: John Devlin.

Mr Wilson, who recently published his autobiography Behind The Paddle, had his strength in the water quickly recognised and competed in the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico in 1968.

He trained for the first event in the River Ayr, but ended up being repeatedly fined after anglers complained he was disturbing the fish. In Tokyo, his team reached the final of the 1,000m sprint and came eighth.

“When you walk into that stadium, you can’t describe that feeling,” he recalled “Emotional. I looked as if I had crawled out from under a rock coming from Scotland. I had no tan at all and you are surrounded by all these bronzed heroes.”

Alistair Wilson training on the water with the sprint canoeist competing at Olympic level at Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico in 1968. PIC: Contributed.

Mr Wilson, who was born in 1939 in India, went on to design his own paddles – named Lendal – which were made in Paisley and sold around the world. He embarked on several adventures, including a three-week self-sufficient kayak expedition of Alaska where he found himself kayaking among a pod of orcas.

His widow, Marianne, to whom he was married for 55 years and who also competed in sprint canoeing at Rome Olympics in 1960, said: “Alistair felt very energised by the water and very much in tune with water. He had a varied life and he never stopped working. But that was Alistair – you couldn’t stop him.”

Mr Wilson is survived by Marianne, three children and seven grandchildren. His funeral will be held at Ayr Crematorium on Friday, December 1 at 2pm.