In this series of short profiles, Capital Current introduces key persons of influence in the city to the community.
Who is he?
Kevin Tobin is 17, has ADHD and autism, but that isn’t slowing the aspiring professional kayaker down. He has won medals in several competitions including at meets in Regina and Montreal, and in the provincial championships in Welland, Ont. Recently he reached a new level of success with a bronze at the ICF World Championships men’s 10-kilometre race in the Special Olympic/Intellectual Impairment category in Győr, Hungary. He placed 5th in the overall competition in his group.
What’s his background?
As the Ottawa Citizen reported, Tobin started kayaking recreationally in an integrative paddling program at the Ottawa River Canoe Club that caters to kids with special needs but also integrates them with other paddlers. He developed a passion for the sport, training with a coach at the club and, as detailed in the Ottawa Sports Pages, doing weight training throughout winter to stay in form for competitions.
What is he known for in Ottawa?
With sponsorship from realtor Stephanie Mols, he was able to travel to Hungary for the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships. He is seen as tenacious and determined to be successful on an international level. Interviewed with his parents, Tobin says he hopes to raise awareness about kayakers who are disabled, noting that kayaking is not included as a sport at the Paralympics.
What do people say about him?
His parents, Asami and Sean, like to emphasize that Kevin’s success is without pressure from them. He’s competitive and self-driven, and keeps an eye on his competition to motivate himself.
“Honestly, we don’t push our kids,” Sean said. “We encourage them, but we don’t push them. He pushed himself. Like we’re not doing any of this. This is all him.”
What’s a lesser-known fact about him?
Tobin has always been high-energy, so much so that his mother would have him lap the stairs during winter months when he was younger. As a young boy his enthusiasm led him to manage to push a heavy television off a table at home, destroying it. These days, however, he does his damage to the competition on the water.
