Dr Cameron McIntosh, 8 times SA Slalom Kayak Champion has more than a decade of International competition and is the driving force behind Amadonsa Donsa (South Africa’s top slalom paddling training camp preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games) and Africa's 1st White-Water Stadium.

Read about Cameron's emphasis on the developing the Whole Person.

I am 32 years old and was born in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. I grew up on a farm in Estcourt and started paddling on the Bushmans river when I was 13 years old. I used to practice many types of sport but only got serious about Slalom when I got to Stellenbosch University.

In the 12 great years that I took to finish my 6-year Medical degree I took many years “off” from studying to train professionally. I also met my wife, Colleen Goulding, on Campus and we’ve been married for 3 years.

Over the years I’ve managed to win SA Champs 8 times and have been on more than 40 overseas trips racing for South Africa.

I have become more and more involved in Development canoeing and believe this is what God has called me to do. Read more about this in the “History of Slalom” page. If you want to see more pictures of me click here and you will go to a Facebook album.

A whole person
As a medical doctor one of the biggest gifts we can offer people is to prevent them getting sick instead of trying to cure them. Human beings are complex and we have to be kept in a delicate balance to operate effectively. Being a holistic doctor spills over into paddling as I address the crucial areas of Spirituality, Nutrition and Mental toughness.

Spirituality
We are living in a post-modern Western culture where the Spiritual dimension of our lives is so sadly neglected. For me it’s the most important thing about being a human and means more to me than anything else. Just going to tell you a little more about what I believe in and how I try to live out my life. I draw lots of parallels between my life as an Athlete and my spiritual journey.

I grew up in the Apartheid time in South Africa so I was in many ways living in a society that had used “Christianity” as a terrible way of oppressing people. My parents were involved in politics as the opposition to the then government. I was born into a family that had strong Christian values. We used to go to church and read the bible and prayed at meal times. Both my parents were very committed to teaching my two brothers and I how to live as a Christian.

When I went to high school at the age of 13 the “religion” that I had been acting out was very quickly forgotten for the more illustrious appeal of being seen to do well at school and to be “cool” I wasn’t a bad person but also paid very little attention to any kind of “Spirituality” for about 2 years. I believed in God and Jesus but kept it at arms length and didn’t want it to interfere with my life because I thought I was doing fine on my own.

Half way through my 3rd year at high school I attended a Scripture Union camp and everything changed. I had attended some years earlier with my parents and quite enjoyed those times, but to go away with a bunch of teenagers with University students as our leaders appealed to me tremendously. Deep inside me there was a hunger for meaning, purpose and love in my heart. I had come from a few months of hard times back at school trying to fit into a crowd that I thought were “cool” only to find out how superficial the friendships were. On this camp one night after a talk we were allowed to come up for prayer. I was desperate to see if this person Jesus really was alive and if he genuinely did make a change in my life. The leader explained the very easy and simple steps to becoming a follower of Jesus. I was deeply moved to know that God, the creator of the universe and of me, was so deeply in love with me. That he sent his son Jesus to earth so that he would die in my place so that my sins were forgiven. I knelt down and asked Jesus to fill me with his Holy Spirit as I confessed my sins and asked for forgiveness. It must be the most amazing experience I have ever had. My life was completely turned around from that day onwards.

Since then I have come to see that to be a “Christian” is MUCH more than simply believing in Jesus and asking him into your life. I guess it’s much like paddling. If I get all the equipment I’m a step in the right direction to becoming a paddler, once I learn how to paddle in my mind I’m another step further but it’s only when it becomes a natural reflex part of me after many years that I’ll truly become a champion. So too I’ve come to see how amazing a friendship can be with the Creator of all life.

I have a very cool verse for the “Beijing 2008 Olympics” from Isaiah (a book in the Old Testament section of the Bible). In Chapter 33 verse 6 it says “Your times are in my [God’s] hands, there will be a rich source of Salvation, Wisdom and Knowledge. The fear of Lord is the key to this treasure” There are a few things I have gotten much strength from in meditating over this verse:

God is in control of my life: It goes as far as Him knowing exactly my “times” in the races I do. So I don’t have to worry about the end result, I just have to give my best.

It’s a treasure: Yes I LOVE my paddling and enjoy this adventure I am on and only in the safety of listening and obeying God can I find a deep joy and not superficial happiness.

There are rewards: I have already gained much wisdom and knowledge this year. What’s more is this funny word “Salvation”. Basically it’s a word meaning “to be saved” From what you may ask? Hey man from living a life empty of Jesus!
SO, that’s my story about being a truly whole person!

Colleen and I attend the Christian Revival Church in Bethlehem where our Pastor is Brian de Villiers.

Nutrition

The only way to eat properly for long-lasting health is a whole foods, plant based diet.

It’s as simple as that. I have read countless dietary books, seen hundreds of patients and studied many evidence based medical articles. One of the best books I can recommend you to read is “The China Study” by Thomas Campbell, PhD. I get great support from Lauren Sachts at Laurens Health Foods in Bethlehem

Mental Toughness

Much is written about this. The important thing to remember is control the controlables.

PART 2:

Lots of people have asked me why do I do all this paddling. The more positive are impressed that we’re off to the Olympics, that our appeals for donations to cover our costs were met at the last minute, that there is such tremendous development work, that Lindelani and Siboniso have in 5 years made it to the Olympics as Africa’s 1st black paddlers.

Then the more pessimistic ask questions like, why all the sacrifices like moving away from friends to a remote town, pouring myself into development work with black people, the change to C2, the fact of still trying to go to the Olympics after having failed to make it in ’96, ’00 and ’04, the breaks in my professional medical career and yet I just seem to not want to give up!

Well there are no easy or short answers to those questions but I all I can say is that Got put a dream in my heart and He has given me the strength to achieve it. Some people use the word “Calling” to describe this. I firmly believe God has shown me I need to be paddling and doing development work through verses in the Bible, Circumstances and things Wise People have said to me. Having settled it in my heart that this is what God wants me to do then I have a solid foundation off which to work and face the battles that lie ahead knowing that “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the World”

Building on from this there are 3 essentials I want to write about in how canoeing has been used as a way to change lives

Firstly my relationship with Jesus and my character as a Christian has changed. Ultimately Jesus loves us so much that he died for us and in return he wants a deep and loving relationship with him. As we grow in this relationship so we slowly become more like him. Just like I need to train everyday for my paddling so to I have to train in my walk with God. There is a well known Sunday School song that summarizes it when it says “Read your Bible and Pray every day and you will grow, grow, grow “

I have come to see how important it is to persevere in what we do, to be disciplined in each area of our life, to not only talk about being a Christian but show it by what you do and to have faith in Him and not in our own abilities. Alongside this I have also come to see that there are parts of me that are really not nice and need changing. Sometimes I can get irritated quickly with incompetence for example but I am slowly learing that I need to love everybody around me no matter how hard it is because they, just like me, are loved by God.

Secondly it’s not about me, it’s about God and Him being in control. Where God is in control it is simply known as His Kingdom. Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God more than anything else when he was on earth and as followers of Jesus we are told that all we do has to be for God and not for us. I find this really hard to do as a high level athlete because on the outside so much of it looks like it’s just about being the best.

Thirdly it is about setting an example. Again some people use the word to “witness” to others. It really is just about telling your story. There are two kinds of people that my story goes out to. For both I hope it is there to encourage them. The 1st group are those who do not yet have a relationship with a loving God and the 2nd group are those who do know God.

So my final point is a question to you in response to your questions: Why are you living?