What have you been doing since coming back from Beijing with your canoeing silver medal?

It’s been pretty busy. I went straight to a press conference after landing in London so was late back to Nottingham that night, then it was up to Edinburgh for the open-top bus tour, which was pretty incredible. I was then invited to go down to a race in Slovakia for a week. I’ve watched my Olympic race back since I got home and it’s good to talk to all those who watched it. All my parents’ friends are happy for me, it’s nice to justify all the effort over the years. I’m sure there are a lot of guys who’ve worked just as hard, but come away with nothing. Sport doesn’t always reward hard work.

Will you still try to be an astronaut having had a failed application preBeijing?

The opportunity was there for the one month that applications were open. It doesn’t come around very often so I went for it. I’ll continue to concentrate on my canoeing, but I might write a letter to them and ask if I can have some feedback as to why I wasn’t suitable. If the option came around again after 2012, you never know. A lot of work and time went into the application. I had to get a medical before I could even get the application form. I hadn’t dreamed of being an astronaut when I was young, it was just an amazing opportunity. There are a lot of things they were after, I didn’t have a PhD or any research background which they seemed keen on. I didn’t even get an interview.

What do you recall of the lightning strike on your family?

It was obviously quite traumatic to hear what had happened when they visited the Great Wall of China and tried to shelter from a storm, but they were very lucky as everyone was okay after being checked by a doctor.

Where do you keep your medal?

I’ve not really had it long enough to keep it anywhere because I’ve been so busy. You’re always asked to bring it to show people. It’s been in my room between visits and personal appearances.

Who is the most famous person you’ve met?

I shook Roger Federer’s hand at the Olympic opening ceremony and wished him ‘happy birthday’ because it was mine too. My dad told me after seeing it on the news.

What was your last job?

I’ve never had one. I was a student while first canoeing and was lucky enough that I soon got to a level where I got full-time funding. So I guess the last job I had was a paper round, which is going back a bit.

How do you relax?

At the Games I tried to learn some Chinese, just to get some conversations going. I got to a standard so I could make simple small talk with taxi drivers and the like: how the weather was, that sort of thing.

Did you ever watch your dad, George, canoe?

No, but he always had a canoe down the side of the house. It wasn’t until I first started canoeing that I found out he’d actually been Scottish champion. He’d never talked much about it. It turned out he gave it up when he was very young, 19, and got a job.

What is your favourite city?

Nottingham is very much the place I know best, but Edinburgh is my home town and where I’d like to settle long-term.

The last book you read?

At the minute it’s Riding Rockets, by Mike Mullane. It’s sort of an autobiographical tale of a Nasa astronaut so I’m still keeping the space link.

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