Justin Mark Boocock

Justin has been involved in canoe slalom from a young age, honing his skills on challenging Tasmanian courses. He paddled on the Leven and Forth rivers, down the Cataract Gorge in Launceston and at the man-made international course at Brady's Lake in the central highlands.

For such a physically demanding sport, Justin had a remarkably long international career, extending over 13 years. At a domestic level he was the dominant figure in his sport, being chosen in national teams from 1991 until 2005, winning five national and eleven Tasmanian titles.

Justin first came to international prominence in 1993 when he became the first Australian to win the World Junior Canoe Slalom Championship. He followed this with another Australian first when he won a bronze medal at the senior World Cup in 1996.

After his early international success, Justin was selected for the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, where he finished in 16th place, competing against the best in the world in a sport traditionally dominated by the Europeans.

In a series of World Cup events in China and Europe in 2002, Justin won both a gold and a silver medal, finishing third overall in the series. In the same year, in the Augsburg World Championships, his great skills and stamina saw him finish in 8th place.

Justin's exceptional form continued into 2003, when Australia hosted the World Cup event at Penrith, NSW. The advantage of competing on a course with which he had become familiar paid off for Justin, and he won the gold medal for his country. Again, this was an Australian first and could be considered the pinnacle of his outstanding career as an international paddler.

Justin was named the University of Tasmania sportsperson of the year in 1993 and again in 1996 and was named Tasmanian Young Achiever of the Year for Sport in 1993.

A superb ambassador for his sport, Justin will be recognised as one of Tasmania's outstanding athletes who competed with distinction on the world stage.