THE VITAL MESSAGE BEHIND PETER BOLTON’S RISE TO THE TOP
Peter Bolton can’t help but laugh when he’s asked about his time on top of the Shaw and Partners Australian Ocean Racing Series pointscore.
The 64 year-old from Portsea, an hour and a half outside of Melbourne, loves his paddling.
When the schedule for this year’s series was released, he planned on doing as many races as he could.
In fact, after three rounds, he was the only paddler to have competed at every one.
And as a result, he sat at the top of the standings.
“It was awesome for a silly old fool to be on there. Was it going to last? No.” Bolton laughs.
“None of the good guys, outside of the very nice people I’ve been able to meet, would know who I am… and they probably still don’t.
“Some of those I have met might see it and say, ‘Hey, I know him. He’s a reasonable bloke and he’s travelled to support the series.’ That would be really cool.”
With the Australian Ocean Racing Series now ramping up towards the end of the season, Peter is no longer taking up pole position. But the pointscore painted a feel-good story.
He’s relatively new to paddling, picking up the sport after a long and elite history competing in triathlons.
Bolton spent a decade as a professional through the 1980’s and 90’s, and then after some time away, returned in 2009 as a master to win his age group World Championship.
And since making the switch to paddling, he’s applied that same passion.
The opening three rounds of this year’s series were all interstate trips – but Peter didn’t think twice about attending.
Even if you don’t recognise his name, if you’ve attended an AORS race, you’d likely recognise his face.
The Shaw and Partners WA Race Week, 20 Beaches, The Chucky, the Bridge to Beach, Tasmania’s Surf Safari and now the South Australian events… there aren’t many domestic events that Peter hasn’t ticked off.
It’s become a successful formula – load the car, hit the road, race, then spend another day or two paddling with locals and seeing a new area from a fresh, ocean-side perspective.
Simply put, Peter loves it.
“I love the community and everyone makes you feel so welcome,” he says.
“I hadn’t raced in South Australia before, and after changing sports a few years ago, I’ve just enjoyed going to different states and meeting different people.
“It’s nice to build myself into different communities, just to become more part of the fabric.”
It’s a great story that epitomises the power of paddling.
It’s even extended off the water. Peter is the Victorian dealer for Fenn, RaceOne paddles and Vaikobi.
There is another layer to it, however. You’d never know from his upbeat, infectious personality, but Peter is also quietly dealing with inoperable prostate cancer.
“I qualified for the World Championships in triathlon and I was going again – and not to make up the numbers, either.” Peter recalls.
“I figured that I’d go and get a blood test a few months beforehand to make sure my iron levels and testosterone levels, all of the things critical to being an athlete at the highest level, were fully topped up.
“I didn’t really have an inkling… to find out I had prostate cancer that had metastasized to my hip and my spine and my lymph nodes, I couldn’t have the bastard out.
“At that stage they said if we can’t get you five years, we’ll be disappointed.
“I don’t give it any oxygen. I don’t use the ‘c’ word very often, I don’t think about it, I really don’t sweat it or tell people about it.”
“All of my mates know, but most of the people I work with don’t know. I just get on with it.
“The doctors say do whatever you want to do. I got it as an elite athlete, so why would I stop exercising like one?
“I just go hammer-and-tongs and it seems to be working.”
For those who have come into contact with Peter, this all may come as a shock.
Incredibly kind, and often the first to strike up conversation about all things paddling, he doesn’t give an inkling about the hurdles he’s faced with his health.
He cites the success of the clinical trial he was placed on, which involves a daily treatment of chemotherapy, in keeping him alive. He heads into hospital every three months for check-ups and treatment.
“I’ve been dealt a hand that I just have to play,” he says. “That’s my challenge.”
“I’m not going for any sympathy votes, but with that in mind, it is cool that I can still race and do well enough to sneak into the top third of an age group, or be close enough.”
In fact, when speaking with The Paddler, performance is his number one concern.
Peter is part of Victoria’s River Rats crew and Portsea Surf Life Saving Club, and is churning out downwind runs across the Bay of Melbourne whenever he can.
Although he takes the mickey out of himself when speaking about his time on top of the Shaw and Partners AORS pointscore, he works hard to remain competitive in the 60-69 age group.
“I had to change sports after the diagnosis because, as a triathlete, all of the medications and treatment meant my body wasn’t the same as it used to be,” he says.
“In triathlons, I went alright. And that meant that every time I went out, there was an expectation from myself and others to do well. I didn’t mind that, because I love pressure.
“But this was a chance to change and get into a different sport without expectations while being social, and yes, I love having a bit of a hit out.”
“I’m 70% as strong as I’d normally be because of the treatment I’m on, but that’s just the way it is.
“It irritates the hell out of me that I can’t get close to guys like Jeremy Norton and John Bush and those guys because I’m so much weaker, but I’m dealing with a compromised body.
“From all of my research, it seems that the ‘c’ word doesn’t really like exercise… so I hammer it. I go as hard as I can.”
“It’s just a matter of getting out there and having a lash.”
The biggest motivation to share his story is the hope he’ll inspire others to get their health checked, too.
Those most at risk of the disease are aged 50 years and older – which, unsurprisingly to everyone reading, is the core demographic of surfski paddling.
In Australia, it’s the most common form of cancer among men, with more than 17,000 new cases each year.
Check-ups are now as simple as a blood test.
“Every year. You’ve just gotta get tested every year,” Peter says. “They say from the age of 50, but arguably 40 if you have a family history of it.”
Peter’s story adds a new perspective to his impressive – and committed – start to the Shaw and Partners AORS.
But his health battles haven’t changed his outlook on life, nor have they inspired his dedication to sport.
“That would be the answer you’d like to have, but I don’t think so,” he reflects. “I just like having a crack.”
“What’s the long term view? I don’t think you ever beat cancer. So you just have to get on with it and make every day special.”
“I try to stay positive and don’t think about it. It’s not ideal, but I’m still living a life I love.
“When it first happened, I figured that in a few weeks a candid camera group would jump out of the bushes and say, ‘Hey, we know you’re tough mentally, we just thought we’d fuck with you. Here’s a million bucks for messing with your life.’ But it never happened.
“From the day I was told, there were no tears. I just thought, ‘This is the hand I’ve been dealt. What can I do next to maximise the most out of life and giving myself the best chance of staying above ground?’
“I’m still going. I’m an outlier, possibly. I look after myself, but I also try to live a normal life. I still get on the booze and carry on like an idiot, as much as anybody,” he laughs.
His only focus is looking forward.
And for Peter, it includes a lot more paddling.
He’s just returned from Europe after a trip with, so he missed out on lining up at the Shaw and Partners Forster Race Weekend. And that saw him dethroned from the top of the pointscore.
Peter will be back in the boat soon, though, and he’s pumped to line up at the rest of the Shaw and Partners Australian Ocean Racing Series.
With a huge smile on his face, as always.
“I was a yachty, then I water skied competitively, a swimmer and I’m still a surf lifesaver,” he says.
“I’ve always been happy on the water, so paddling just came along.
“It could’ve been any sport to be truthful, but I’m so glad this is the way it came about.”
