IF HE is not busy saving lives, Dr Lachie Milne is paddling through thundering rapids in a canoe – and chasing his Olympic dream.
A resident at Nepean Hospital, Dr Milne will be heading to the Beijing Olympics in August, along with his whitewater canoeing partner of six years, Mark Bellofiore.
The pair are in Beijing at the moment getting a feel for the Olympic course before they head off to Europe for the Canoe World Cup Series.
The series is held annually and comprises of three races in three different countries; this year Dr Milne and Mr Bellofiore will be racing in the Czech Republic, Germany and Spain.
Dr Milne said the World Series will give them an pportunity to fine tune their racing before they return to Beijing in August in time for the Olympics.
Having competed in whitewater canoeing since he was 15-years-old, Dr Milne said the Olympics have been his dream for a long time.
“At least since I started canoeing... when I was little I think I wanted to be a cricketer, but I soon realised I was better suited to canoeing,” he said.
“I’m pretty lucky really, to have a sport which is so much fun to do every time you go out on the water. It’s a bit like surfing or mountain biking in that it’s highly technical and a bit of an adrenaline rush.”
He said he started canoeing after watching his older brother compete in a race.
“I liked the look of the sport and after giving it a go I quickly became addicted. It has been a way of life for me ever since.”
When they are on home soil, the pair train almost exclusively at Penrith Whitewater Stadium.
“They have been incredibly supportive of the sport of canoe slalom, the national team and us over the years by providing a world class facility for us to train and race on,” Dr Milne said.
But Dr Milne’s dedication to his sport is just one half of his life, he is just as passionate about his medical career and he believes his sport gives him a necessary outlet.
“Juggling medicine and elite sport is of course a challenge, but Nepean Hospital have been fantastic in helping me get through the last couple of years as intern/resident,” he said.
“I think canoeing balances well with medicine because people can get very tied up in the life of medicine.
“There is a definite scope for life outside medicine, and I think it makes me a better doctor having that balance.”
Dr Milne said he had to cut down his work hours in March so that he could focus on canoeing in the lead up to the Olympics, and his partner Mark has also taken leave from his job as a senior accountant at Price Waterhouse Coopers.
Beijing will actually be the pair’s second Olympics, as they competed in the Athens Olympics in 2004.
“But we had only been in the boat for 18-months together and so we were too inexperienced to realistically challenge for a medal,” Dr Milne said.
“It was a really good learning experience though, and this time round, we’ll draw on that to give us the best opportunity to produce a medal winning performance.”