Eric Munshaw’s first major international canoeing tournament was the 1972 Summer Olympics, where he was a member of Canada’s delegation to the K-1 Slalom event and placed 34th among 37 competitors, albeit still as the top finisher among the three Canadians in the event. Undeterred, he continued to represent his country abroad and appeared in four editions of the World Championships (1973, 1975, 1977, and 1979) before retiring from active competition in the early 1980s. He then used his experience to coach Canadians in the sport for over two decades thereafter. He was trained as an engineer and wood-worker, which led to a professional career as an artist in the medium and a furniture designer. He also worked as a teacher, primarily in shop class, and received awards for his development of technology-oriented curricula in his classes. He retired in 2014 and died four years later during a solo skiing trip near his Chilliwack, British Columbia home.
Canada