Robert Jackson (1967 - 2018)
In June this year, we sadly lost Robert Jackson in a tragic river accident. Robert was a great friend, coach and probably the most active member of Edinburgh Kayak Club – in more ways than one! Those of us who were lucky enough to have known him couldn’t help but be affected by his love for life, his enthusiasm, boundless energy, positivity and complete selflessness in his approach to coaching. Whether it be a day on the river, a winter pool session, summer lagoon session or a visit to Pinkston Water Park, it was always a highly memorable experience, not just for the inevitable and numerous hilarious moments, but also to learn from his brilliantly relaxed coaching style. Robert’s ability to coach kids was legendary. To watch him coach a group of them at the pool or lagoons was quite special – he had a natural affiliation with the kids, probably because he was the biggest kid of them all! To watch these youngsters pay their respects to him at his funeral was testament to the feelings they obviously had for him. So, yes we have lost a true local kayaking legend who taught many of us an awful lot in the way of skills, rolls, tricks and manoeuvres – but most of all, he made us laugh – a lot. We will never forget that laughter and we should all continue with our kayaking in the knowledge that Robert will be watching us somewhere chuckling whenever we get wet!
Here is a link to access the slideshow created in his memory:
Here is a link to access the report with details of the accident: