Alwyn Morris

Grandfather

Alwyn Morris, a Mohawk from Kahnawake, Quebec, won the Gold Medal in the 1000-metre K-2 kayaking event at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. On the podium, Alwyn held an eagle feather high to honour a promise he had made to his grandfather, that one day he would be an Olympic winner. His athletic career got off to a less than auspicious start at age fourteen. Being small, the coaches didn’t think he would ever be big enough to pull much water. He persevered and as the awards piled up, it led to his Olympic selection and win. These days Alwyn works as a member of his Band Council, negotiating land issues. He is the visionary behind the Aboriginal Sports Circle, which was formed in response to the need for more accessible and equitable sport and recreation opportunities for Aboriginal youth. 

Alwyn was twice honoured with the Tom Longboat Award.