#OurAthletes: Kayaker Ben Hayward takes questions in Slovakia

CBC News has paired up with slalom kayaker Ben Hayward for #OurAthletes, bringing you the inside scoop as Canadian athletes prepare for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

This week, Radio Active's Rod Kurtz got an update from Hayward, who is currently competing in the ICF World Cup in Slovakia.

Why a hobbit van (as opposed to some other form of transit)?

When we travel abroad for races and training camps, the highest cost for an athlete is almost always the hotels and rental cars.

When I decided I was going to build the van from scratch, one of my first ideas was a big round hobbit door on the back. I could put anything I wanted to on there — so why not? From there, the design really became my playground to explore the weird, wacky, and beautiful while also grounding everything in sensible ergonomic design. I'm known at the architecture school for having strange curvaceous projects that defy convention, yet these projects are always rooted in improving building function and spatial relationships. I feel pretty fortunate to get free rein on my first full-scale project as a designer to explore what I want my own style to be.

As a paddler, how do artificial and natural race courses compare?

Most of the venues we race on are artificial, which usually means they are made out of concrete. The water reacts differently with concrete than it does with a rock bed in natural rivers, creating surges of water and unique features that are difficult to find in nature. They also allow the course designer to pack a high density of waves, drops, and eddies into a very short stretch of river.

I personally prefer to race on natural courses like the (mostly natural) course in Minden, Ont. Artificial courses feel more like a skate park where you try to master the features that the course designer has laid out for you. They are super fun in their own right, but there's nothing quite like paddling a natural river to feel connected to nature.

What's your go-to breakfast before a competition?

My teammate, Cameron Smedley, makes an incredible baked oatmeal with lots of fruit and maple syrup. I've stolen his recipe as my go-to race breakfast and he even let me include it in the cookbook I put together for my crowdfunding campaign.

What's the craziest river you've ever paddled?

Last fall, I got the chance to race Sickline, which is an extreme race that takes place on the Oetz River in Austria. It's a short section of small water falls and big technical whitewater that you race in plastic boats. No gates. It's still the most challenging whitewater that I've paddled and I'm really looking forward to racing it again this year.

Hayward passed on this video showing two-time champion Sam Sutton paddling the Sickline course:

Do you ever get sea sick? Land sick?

I've only been sea sick once, but it was on a Hobbit Van adventure, taking the ferry from St. Malo, France to Plymouth, UK. I always have to be careful in Eastern Europe because the water pollution is so high that it's very easy to get sick just from paddling on it.

Who is your favourite Canadian athlete/biggest inspiration?

I am most inspired by Rick Hansen and the positivity that emanates from him. What I find most inspiring in him is his outlook on life and his strive to live without compromise. Seeing his silhouette entering the stadium in Vancouver, carrying the Olympic flame, is my favourite Olympic memory.

Have a question we haven't asked Hayward yet? Put it in the comments below

Correction : A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Ben Hayward had competed in the Olympic games.(Jul 04, 2015 1:40 PM)