Simply trying to avoid falling over was Thomas Green’s main mission when he took to the snow slopes for the first time.
Used to sitting in a kayak with a double-bladed paddle in his hands, Green felt totally out of his comfort zone after attaching his feet to a snowboard.
Taking to the Tyrolean Alps in Austria at the start of this year, there was a sense of trepidation but also adrenaline.
Pictured wearing his goggles and skiing jacket, Green jokingly said in an Instagram post that he had “all the best gear and no idea” but he was embracing the change in scenery.
“I have never touched snow before so that was exciting, but I also didn’t realise that snow was so slippery when you were on the snowboards,” said Green.
“It looked like powder, but it wasn’t, it was compact, and it was fast.
“So there were a lot of falls but a lot of fun and towards the end I picked it up a little bit so it’s something I will still work on.”
That trip to Tyrol also saw Green’s partner Josephine Siedle accept his marriage proposal in front of a stunning mountainous backdrop.
As well as his mountain adventure, Green returned to the water to participate in surf lifesaving as he enjoyed his time away from competition.
But Green is now back in the racing mode and is trying something new for 2025.
After five years competing alongside Jean van der Westhuyzen, Green is joining forces with his long-time teammate’s younger brother.
Green is excited about what the future holds with Pierre van der Westhuyzen as they approach the 2025 season.
“I’m changing my K2 partner for the first time since 2019 so it’s definitely different,” said Green.
“I have learnt a lot about the way Pierre paddles.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s been a big challenge. but it’s just been a challenge when going from what I have known for so long into this.
“It’s been fun.
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“We are racing slightly differently, and it feels different, but it still feels really good.
“The whole point is to change it up and not just focus on K1 this year but also just stay in touch in team boats.
“We want to try new things out and feel what it is like paddling with different people to learn more.
“Pierre will potentially learn that I paddle a different way to what he is used to and then for myself I’m having to form with the new boat.
“It’s been good and been quite comfortable and a good stepping stone this year.”
His partnership with Jean van der Westhuyzen proved to be a winning one.
They captured men’s K2 1000m gold at the delayed 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
This was followed by bronze medals in the men’s K2 500m at both the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Dartmouth and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Reflecting his performance at last year’s Olympics, Green said: “Paris was a really good result at the end of the day.
“It was obviously not what we wanted and what we thought we were capable of but at the end of the day to do a race like that and come away with a medal you have still got to be going pretty well.
“Coming away from that experience, it’s taught me a lot, but it’s also brought the team closer together as we had each other’s back no matter what.
“Even though I felt like it wasn’t the best race, he’s still my teammate and a good mate of mine after that so we have got to try to work through it together and make sure we didn’t beat each other up about it much.”
With two Olympic medals to his name, Green is looking to increase that tally as he targets a place at LA28.
“Now with LA just three and a half years away it’s probably just about focusing on the process now,” said Green.
“The bigger the base, the taller the pyramid so for us this year, next year and even the year after, we are not here to win World Championships, we are here to win Olympic medals and for us that’s what we have always trained for.
“It’s just going to be about making sure that we focus on the small things now that make a big difference later on.
“It’s not necessarily about coming here and winning a World Cup or a World Championships but it’s putting those experiences and those processes in place for LA.”
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