World-class water skier Bob Wink recently represented Canada at the Senior Pan American Water Skiing Championships in Mexico.
It was the first time the Orillia native had competed in international competition since fracturing his leg at the last Pan American Championships in 2019.
“I probably didn’t ski my best, but it was my best podium finish I’ve had,” Wink said after finishing in second place in the slalom division at the international event.
“It’s good and bad because I thought the door was open for me to get to the top. This was the year I was hoping I could do it,” he said.
After finishing third with a fractured leg in 2016, the 51-year-old had the expectation that he would be coming home with gold this time around.
“I came up ... short, it’s bittersweet,” he said.
“Next year the championships are in France which brings a higher level of competition, so hopefully I will be able to progress and keep moving forward.”
Wink’s score contributed to Canada placing second at the championships as a team.
“It’s so amazing to wear the flag and represent my country at any international tournament,” Wink said.
“Canada has really come through in water skiing in the last while as being a big player against the U.S.”
Wink attributes some of his success to living in Orillia where he trains in his own backyard on Victoria Point.
“We are so fortunate to live in this sort of area and have bodies of water and like-minded individuals to ski and train with,” he said.
“It’s special to look back at four decades of water skiing around here and all the people who I’ve skied with who have helped me along the way.”
Wink, a past nominee for the prestigious Orillia Athlete of the Year award, will continue his training over the winter and is also hoping to get back into competitive rowing next summer.
“Doing two sports is hard, but I find that doing the rowing really helps with my water skiing fitness,” he explained.
Outside of the competition, Wink said travelling to a different country during the COVID-19 pandemic was an eye opener.
“It was very different than when the championships were held in Peru two years ago when travel was open and we didn’t have to think about COVID restrictions and protocols,” he said.
“I was anxious to travel and get out there and compete, but at the same token I was wondering what the numbers were like in the area, and I was hoping that we would all get back safe.”
Wink and the other Canadian athletes were given Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests before traveling back home.
