Long time followers of In the Cove will recall that in June 2013 (when we only had a few followers and our website was just a twinkle in ITC’s eye) Lane Cove came together to raise money for Skeleton racer, John Farrow, to compete in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. We held a fundraising evening with John bringing his Skeleton Sled and helmet, which delighted the kids. John is one brave man, he races down a bobsled track at 140 km an hour face first. Some may say he is even braver wearing a form-fitting lycra suit in a cold climate (but ITC will not go there). We raised $800 for John to fund research into a design feature to make an aerodynamic sled. A Lane Cove local, Lewis Clark, designed the new sled feature as for his Aerospace Degree major project at the University of Canberra.
In May 2016 and John was back in Lane Cove working at Renegade Cycles.
Fast Forward to January 2018 and John is again selected for the 2018 Winter Olympics. So keep an eye out for John as Lane Cove has helped him on his Olympic Journey (and he is a nice guy).
How did you go at the 2014 Winter Olympics?
I finished the competition in 17th place. This is the highest placing by an Australian Skeleton Racer in Winter Olympics history.
Why did you come back to Lane Cove?
After the 2014 Winter Olympics, I lost all my funding. Josh Blake, owner of Renegade Cycles, has always been a huge supporter of mine. By working at Renegade, I save money before returning overseas and undertaking specific training in a colder environment (USA and Canada). In Skeleton, like bobsledding, the start is so important. Unfortunately, there are no facilities in Australia to work on the start, so I have to head overseas. It really is just like the movie Cool Runnings – it’s all about the start.
What is your favourite thing to do in Lane Cove?
Lane Cove is where I started my sporting career. As a kid, I played rugby with the Lane Cove Tigers at Tantallon Oval and loved it. I now train at Rotary War Memorial Athletics Field in Lane Cove North. I love the active lifestyle in Lane Cove (I see this every day at Renegade). However, I am still partial to a cold beer in the Longy Beer Garden, it always makes me feel like I am back in Lane Cove.
As an Olympian, do you get drug tested often for performance enhancing drugs?
In an Olympic year, we are tested once a month.
If you would like to know more about John Farrow please like his Facebook page, Instagram Account or Twitter Account.
