My life on the Kayak

Oh Well!! A Maltese National Athlete has to cope with the daily stresses oif work as well as the strain of training!! Doing this Day in-Day out took a toll on my body and after a successful block of training where i improved my 4rm, 1rm and max rep on 85% of max and also a hll of a week’s work, my body just gave up and i now have vertigo!!

Now I’m stuck here, feeling strong when sitting down and wobbly when i try to walk!!

See you when i recover!!!

2011 kicked off with training under Kata Pongracz’s guidance in flat water preparation for this year’s season! I must admit that it has been a hard transition from my previous training regime to my current one! The biggest change i felt was neither in the volume, nor the intensity but in the focus which the training is given!! The added advantage was that we can communicate instantly about the progress or problems we are encountering in our training!! This is my second cycle of training with her and so far so good!! Still a lot more to be done but all bodes well for the future!! Motivation levels are back up at 200%!!

My training partner and I are soon getting the first K2 racing boat on the island. It has the same colour scheme as that of Nicki’s which boasts our national colours!! It should be an interesting learning curve as the boat is gonna has rotating seats!! A whole lot of dancing is going to be made on the water!!

Racing should also be hard and fast this year!! As a club we have about 10 races planned for this season and we’ll also be competing in the Sicilian championships in summer over the 1000m, 500m and 200m distances . . . both K1 and K2! The pinnacle of the training is going to be the World championships which are going to be held in Hungary!! Should also be interesting as Malta will enter in a K2 for the first time ever!!!

Good stuff!!!!

Well. . . it’s easier said than done anyway, but those are the wise words passed on by Oscar to Rob (Surfski.info) and who in turn Rob was kind enough to share with me!!. . . After some good solid long distance paddling sessions, i finally felt the boat go and rode some waves for a few hundred metres!!! It was actually really cool and i felt like i was going with the flow. . . Its all about trusting the fact that the boat will do its job. . .Other than that i’m finishing my sessions in the dark and it’ll all about using all the senses!!!

Until next time!

Now that the sprint season is over. . .And what a season!! (More on MCRC website), i had a short break and i started preparing for the Dubai shamaal which will take place on the 3rd December. This is a 20km downwind surf ski race and i’m pleased to be the first to represent my country in such an event!! In the coming weeks i shall be updating the blog with my prgress towards the event. . .so far the learning curve is quite steep as the ski is quite different from the K1. . .Heck loads of fun though!!!

See you soon!!

WEll . . IT’s winter. . the days are short. . work is f****** hard and what shall we do??? TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN!!! In a whim summer will be here and more importantly the world champs in POZNAN!!! Until then it’s some bad ass training as this year I’m also competing in a K2 racing boat with my training partner Matthew Schembri!!

Talk soon!!

Yesterday we had the MOC Sports awards. The discipline of Canoe Sprint was for the first time included in these awards and i together with my girlfriend were both nominated and both won the Bronze award!

It was great to catch up with some of my great friends from Triathlon, sailing and also had the honor to meet with the Maltese world Power boatP! Champion Aaron Ciantar!!

Looking forward to another hard year of training on the water resulting in even greater success!!!

Sorry for the very very very long time to update my blog!!

The med games came along and went past like a dream. . And what a dream it was!! I managed to qualify in both the 500m and the 1000m Final B and placed 7th and 4th respectively.

I managed to set new national records on both distances as well - 500m -1:50 and 1000m 3:58!!!

The med games were such an experience to me because i earned respect of fellow competitors and likewise from Greece, Turkey, Montenegro, Siria and more!! It was so great and i look forward to meet them all again in the future!!!

The med games are coming up SOOOOOONNNN and i shall be leaving on Monday the 29^th. . . I’m finally reaching the end of my journey and believe me it’s gonna be a sprint finish!!!! Training for the med games has taught me so much about myself. . . True, we’re amateurs but even though we have no income from the sport, I’ve made a lot of friendships and strengthened the ones i already had!!! That is truly priceless!!!

My races are going to be on the 3^rd (1000m) and 4^th July (500m) . . . This shall be the first ever participation of Malta in kayaking races at the games. . . . Totally excited and honoured to give my best and represent my country in the best possible way!!

Finally a big thanks for all the support that i had from my Family, the Maltese Olympic Committee, The Malta Canoe Federation, My Girlfriend Nicola Borg Costanzi, My training Partner Matthew Schembri and all the other members of the Malta Canoe Racing Club.

English Version

Two kayakers – Albert Gambina and Dorian Vassallo last Saturday 30 May set a new time for paddling around Malta in a doubles or K2 kayak.  The distance of 42 nautical miles was accomplished in 9 hours and 36 minutes on a north-about route paddled in their VKV Anita K2 kayak. 

The round Malta paddle was preparation for crossing the Malta Channel, an event  planned for the 19  June.  This Pozzallo to Valletta challenge together with the circumnavigation of the Maltese archipelago held last April, are part of the Kayak for Cancer events, whose aim is to raise funds for the Malta Cancer Foundation.

The Gambina/Vassallo team would like to thank their sponsors VKV and Sullivan Maritime Ltd as well as the VTS section of the Malta Maritime Authority for their assistance.

Maltese Version

Is-Sibt li għadda 30 ta’ Mejju, f’kayak ta’ bit-tnejn jew K2, iż-żewġ qaddiefa  Albert Gambina u Dorian Vassallo qadfu madwar Malta f’ħin rekord għal din it-tip ta’ kayak.  Damu 9 siegħat u 36 minuta biex qadfu id-distanza ta’ 42 mil nawtiku bil-kayak VKV Anita K2.  It-tluq u l-wasla kienu min Marsamaxett b’rotta li ħadithom f’direzzjoni kontra l-arloġġ. 

Din il-qadfa kienet tħejjija għal 19 ta’ Ġunju meta hu maħsub li ssir dik bejn Pozzallo f’Sqallija u l-Port il-Kbir.  Din l-isfida, flimkien mal-qadfa madwar il-Gżejjer Maltin li saret f’April, huma parti mill-attivitajiet tal- “Kayak for Cancer” li għandhom l-għan li jinġabru fondi għal-Malta Cancer Foundation.

It-tim Gambina/Vassallo jixtiequ jirringrazzjaw is-sponsors tagħhom VKV u Sullivan Maritime kif ukoll is-sezzjoni tal-VTS fi ħdan l-Awtorita Marittima.