Olympic Canoeist Sets Pace in Inspiring Santa Ana Teens

Even when Jim Terrell is 2,000 miles away, his influence is far reaching.

Terrell, 31, will compete today in the preliminary round of the 500-meter one-man canoe flat-water sprint in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta--something he never thought he would do after retiring from competition in 1992.

But he was convinced to try his fourth Olympics by his students at the Newport Aquatic Center where he coaches canoeing and kayaking to about 20 teens.

It was his students’ excitement about the Olympics that persuaded Terrell to give it another go.

“They kept asking me, ‘Are you going to go for another Olympics?’ ” Terrell said from Atlanta. “I owe a lot to those kids who wanted to see me in competition again.”

Even though Terrell did not medal in the Los Angeles, Seoul and Barcelona Olympics, he stuck with the sport and concentrated on coaching and developing young athletes. He said he felt a duty to the sport and to young people when he began his coaching career.

In Newport Beach, Terrell coaches young athletes ages 14 to 18 for national competition.

Among his students is a group from Santa Ana called Project PRIDE, a program that encourages youths to stay in school and to avoid gangs by providing after-school activities.

“We taught them to paddle,” he said, adding that many of them had never had the opportunity to canoe or kayak off Newport Bay.

One student, Jose Jimenez, 16, became involved in the sport four years ago. He first met Terrell when he was practicing on his own and Terrell offered some tips on how to go faster and what techniques to use.

Since then, Jimenez has won six medals in national competitions, including one first-place in the four-man canoe race.

“He really inspired us because he says you have to practice hard so you can go to the Olympics in Australia,” Jimenez said of Terrell. “At the beginning, I didn’t pay attention, but now it’s one of my dreams [to go to Australia]. He showed us we could follow his footsteps and not give up.”

Another Project PRIDE member, Danny Ortiz, 15, said his special memory of Terrell was when he lent Ortiz a racing canoe.

“It makes me feel good because it’s a special boat,” Ortiz said. “He really doesn’t lend it to anybody. It makes me feel like he trusted me.”

It wasn’t just the fact that the students had a three-time Olympian coaching them that instilled loyalty to Terrell and to the sport. Terrell’s knowledge and dedication impressed Kieran Collins so much that he kept her interested after five years kayaking.

“He’d videotape us so we could see how we were doing. He gave us a variety of options so no one could get burned out on the sport,” said Collins, 14, of Newport Beach, who has won two gold medals and two silver medals in national contests.

After the youths convinced him to try the Olympics again, Terrell stopped working with them regularly and concentrated on his conditioning and training in San Diego.

But Terrell returned to share pointers and help other coaches.

Terrell’s attempt to win a medal in this year’s Olympics has created a greater sense of excitement among his young students.

“He gives his full heart,” Stephanie Mutz, 18, said. “He’s not a slacker . . . it would be pretty cool if he placed.”

“I hope he does well,” Jimenez said. “We’re going to be rooting for him.”

Also contributing to this report was Times staff writer Robyn Norwood.