GARY ATHANS -
WATER BORN An Aquatic Family Lifestyle
By Darcy Nybo
Gary Athans loves the Okanagan and the lifestyle that goes with it. Gary grew up here, immersed in athletics. His mother, Irene Athans won the Manitoba breaststroke title 10 years in a row and the synchronized swimming title five years in a row. She competed nationally, winning silver and bronze medals. She won numerous titles as a Masters swimmer including that of world record holder. His father, Dr. George Athans was only 14 when he competed in diving at the Berlin Olympics and at 17 he won the bronze medal in springboard at the British Empire Games and is in the Okanagan, BC and Canadian Swim Halls of Fame.
The Okanagan apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Gary’s brother, George Jr. is a national water ski champion and has won three world water ski titles. He is a Canadian Sports Hall of Famer and holds many world records. His brother Greg, who passed away in 2006, was a two-time overall world freestyle skiing champ. Greg was also one of the top five water skiers in the world and is believed to be the only athlete to earn gold medals at both the Canada Summer and Winter Games.
Gary pursued both water and snow skiing at a young age and became a Canadian Champion at both. He was named to both the Canadian water and snow ski teams and won many titles in both national snow and water ski championships. He competed at the Winter Olympics in Yugoslavia in 1984.
From 1990 to 2000 Gary had his own water sport and houseboat charter business. “I came up with this idea to teach skiing and have people vacation off a houseboat for two to four days,” he explains. “I supplied the ski boat and instruction, it was great
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concept and grew into a variety of houseboat adventures. There were bike and hike trips where you were picked up by the houseboat, wine & cheese cruises, kids and adult overnight camps, day trips, and school groups. It was a floating, social place on the lake.”
Last February Gary carried the Olympic torch through the streets of Kelowna. His wife Liz and sons Marcus and Isaac watched him as he lit his torch and set off on his relay. Gary dedicated the last 100 meters to his father who passed away in 2007.
“He’s one of my greatest inspirations,” says Gary of his father. “Carrying the torch rekindled a really big flame in my heart, particularly to carry it in front of a bunch of kids.”
Like most who grow up in the Okanagan, Gary water skied in the summer and snow skied in the winter. He has some great memories of long summer days on the lake; however, convincing his father to let him water ski was quite the ordeal.
“I was not able to try water skiing until I could swim from our dock to our neighbors dock,” he recalls. “I wanted to ski so badly; I had been trying to make it to that dock since the age of three. I remember gasping and nearly drowning trying to make the distance. Finally, around age five, I made it! I am sure I put myself in more danger nearly drowning than I would have skiing. Then my brother (a world ski champ) taught me to ski between his legs. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life, the feeling of flying on your own over top of the water.”
Now that he’s a father himself, Gary loves to spend time at the beach building sandcastles and doing water sports with his kids Marcus, Isaac, Kaylee and Jesse.
When he’s not on the lake, Gary is busy with his career as a realtor. Not one to do anything half way, Gary has excelled at his latest profession. Every year since 2003 Gary has received the highest sales award, the Chairman’s Round Table. He has broken an all time sales record in the history of Macdonald Realty and is one of the Okanagan’s top waterfront sales agents.
At first glance real estate has little in common with the thrill of Olympic competition. Not so for Gary. “It can be a rush when people are fulfilling their dreams to buy a home. It is a big decision and an exciting one that is fun to be a part of. This job takes patience and perseverance. You work on your own for the most part and you are your own boss. You get out of it what you put into and the results you get are from your own work. And, like skiing, it is very competitive. There are the exciting wins and there are losses; which is very similar to competitive sports.”
Despite his competitive edge; Gary Athans stays in real estate for other reasons. “I like to help people with selling and buying their homes. It really is very satisfying and exciting. Besides that, it allows myself & my family to live this great Okanagan lifestyle.” ◊
www.suncruiser.ca I 2010 SunCruiser OKANAGAN
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