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Determination and belief see Ian fight back to thrills of surf kayaking
Ian Gravell is living, breathing proof that someone who has suffered very serious injuries can fight back and even enjoy sporting participation because he is a keen kayaker and also enjoys the thrills and spills of surf kayaking.
He would say that thinking ahead to a day when he would ride the surf in his kayak helped during those dark days after he suffered horrific injuries to both his legs when a lorry pulled out in front of him and he was badly injured. It led to a three-month convalescence in Glangwili Hospital, in Carmarthen, and then it was a case of sitting in a wheelchair and starting to build towards a recovery which would allow him to take on an active life once more.
It was a long six months before he was able to walk and Ian can vividly recall now how shatteringly tired he used to be after just a few short steps. But he focussed on what life had in store for him and once he sat in his canoe for the first time and took it out into the surf he knew he was well on the road.
Balanced life before
He had enjoyed pursuits which required balance, such as skateboarding and surfing on a body board, when he was a youngster but never took them up competitively, whilst he also enjoyed the rugby at Llanelli as an avid Scarlets’ supporter. He is still involved in supporting the Scarlets now and was at the emotional final match at Stradi Park, as well as the first regional match at Parc y Scarlets.
Thrills and spills
There has been a recent fuss about youngsters taking a devil-may-care attitude by kayaking down the escape water flume at reservoirs and dams and Ian would have to admit that he tried that many years ago at Llynbriani Dam, where the kayak could reach speeds well in excess of 50mph. There was then the problem of what to do at the bottom because it became a matter of either putting one’s head down and punching through the frothing water that congregated there or lifting one’s head and trying to fly it into calmer waters. Ian enjoyed the thrill of such a deed but would say to youngsters now that they shouldn’t try it because there are far more ways to have some exciting kayaking now than he ever had when he was a youngster.
One example of such a thrill came when he joined a friend called John-Paul Eatock joined him in kayaking through ‘The Bitches’ in Jack’s Sound, near Ramsey Island, not only because he had to use all his skills to negotiate the treacherous waters but because it finally told him that he was back to something like fitness after his accident.
Excitement and success
He joined Gwendraeth Valley Paddlers and took his kayaking up another notch by entering the 1998 World Surf Kayaking Championships in Brazil and produced a highly creditable top-50 finish. He has also kayaked at other challenging venues like Llangollen and Bala in North Wales, plus on the River Thames. Ian still takes part, but purely for fun now because of his family and work commitments, since he and his wife Wendy run the Carreg Restaurant in Narberth and she also looks after their “I Dream of Surfing’ surf shop in the town, a poignant name for the shop in view of his experiences following his accident!
Family sport
Wendy enjoys body boarding with Ian if the water is warm enough and the pair share four children in Abbey, who enjoys hockey but is currently focussing on her GCSEs, Lewis (who plays prop for Llandovery College and is as keen a Scarlets’ fan as dad!), Josh, another rugby fan, and Jazz, who also represents Llandovery College but in hockey.
Great honour
When Ian lived in Carmarthenshire he was nominated and chosen as ‘Disability Sports Person of the Year’ for the way that he fought back from awful injuries but he would say that whilst he was really honoured with receiving the trophy he was even more overjoyed that it marked another step in the road to his recovery. He adds that there is never a day that he doesn’t thank God for reasonably good health and that is why he was so willing to sponsor our ‘disability’ section because he believes it is vital to spread the message that having a disability doesn’t mean that all sporting avenues are closed – and Ian Gravell is living proof of that fact!
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