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International Sports Press Association (AIPS) awarded Austrian coach and former paddler Helmar Steindl with golden laureus award for his contribution to sports journalism and promotion of canoeing in all media.

He has been member of the AIPS canoe-kayak commission since 2003 and promoted the canoeing through media. He has joined the Klagenfurt’s kayak club at the age of 14 and soon had success in junior categories, later competing at senior level in C1 and C2 at World Championships, and also took part at the 1972 Olympics in Munich in the C2 where he finished eighth. Helmar also pursued a career in alpine skiing, becoming a qualified ski-instructor and ski-demonstrator at the national sports centres in St Christoph and Kitzsteinhorn. He also worked as a coach for the Austrian Ski Federation. After the end of the canoeing career he spent two years as head coach of the Iranian ski team followed a year of coaching Austria’s B Team. Helmar’s next move was to become a gym and maths teacher at one of the grammar schools in Klagenfurt. In 1997 he was elected to be the sport director of the Austrian canoe federation.

Source and photo: AIPS media - http://www.aipsmedia.com/aips.html?app=aips::art=23623