Olympian remembered
Homer native reflects on accomplishments
Jack Hittinger
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Sports
Greg Barton Circle marks the center of Homer, Mich. It's a ubiquitous plaque surrounded by foliage, reading simply, "Dedicated to Greg Barton, Olympic Kayak Paddler."
Four medals are also listed, including two golds at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul.
Barton, an Olympic sprint kayaker, was born in Horton, Mich., and raised in Homer, 30 minutes northwest of Hillsdale.
Gale Smith, owner of Gale's Barber Shop in downtown Homer, knows Barton, 46, and his parents, Mike and Kathy, well - as one would expect in a village of 1,851.
"They're quite a great family," said Smith. "And Greg is an individually dedicated person."
Sprint kayaking, Barton's main field, only requires river or lake with water calm enough to race short distances in straight lines - usually 500 or 1000 meters. The waters of the nearby Kalamazoo and St. Joseph Rivers were perfect training grounds for the man who won four 1000-meter sprint medals (three singles and one doubles) on similar waters.
Barton's interest in kayaking came from his parents, who participated in mixed couples marathon canoeing in the 1960s and 70s.
After becoming acquainted with Marcia Jones Smoke, bronze medalist at the 1964 games in Tokyo, Barton began to take kayaking seriously.
Smoke was Barton's first coach, and every summer until the end of high school he would go to her training camp in Buchanan, Mich., to train on the waters of the St. Joseph.
According to Kathy Barton, he started serious training early.
"We'd go to camps with him in the summer with lots of advice on nutrition and exercise," she said. "Around high school he really started to take it to heart."
Barton attended the University of Michigan graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1983. The hardest part about college, he said, was buckling down to train and study.
Four medals are also listed, including two golds at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul.
Barton, an Olympic sprint kayaker, was born in Horton, Mich., and raised in Homer, 30 minutes northwest of Hillsdale.
Gale Smith, owner of Gale's Barber Shop in downtown Homer, knows Barton, 46, and his parents, Mike and Kathy, well - as one would expect in a village of 1,851.
"They're quite a great family," said Smith. "And Greg is an individually dedicated person."
Sprint kayaking, Barton's main field, only requires river or lake with water calm enough to race short distances in straight lines - usually 500 or 1000 meters. The waters of the nearby Kalamazoo and St. Joseph Rivers were perfect training grounds for the man who won four 1000-meter sprint medals (three singles and one doubles) on similar waters.
Barton's interest in kayaking came from his parents, who participated in mixed couples marathon canoeing in the 1960s and 70s.
After becoming acquainted with Marcia Jones Smoke, bronze medalist at the 1964 games in Tokyo, Barton began to take kayaking seriously.
Smoke was Barton's first coach, and every summer until the end of high school he would go to her training camp in Buchanan, Mich., to train on the waters of the St. Joseph.
According to Kathy Barton, he started serious training early.
"We'd go to camps with him in the summer with lots of advice on nutrition and exercise," she said. "Around high school he really started to take it to heart."
Barton attended the University of Michigan graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1983. The hardest part about college, he said, was buckling down to train and study.
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