Meet Adam Burgess, Team GB canoe slalom athlete at Paris 2024 Olympics who has qualifications in coffee brewing

ADAM Burgess is due to return to the Olympic scene for the second time in Paris.

The sports star had unusual beginnings before joining Team GB. Here’s what we know about him.

Adam Burgess has already bagged a number of awards during his careerGetty

Who is Adam Burgess?

Adam Burgess is a British slalom canoeist who has competed at international level since 2008.

Born July 17, 1992, the 32-year-old is a Black Sabbath and Stoke City fan, 

The Staffordshire sportsman also has professional qualifications in specialty coffee brewing.

The yoga lover came very close to a medal on his Olympic debut in Tokyo.

He missed out on bronze by just 0.16 seconds as he had to settle for fourth in the men’s C1 slalom.

Burgess started canoeing aged 10 on the River Trent in Stone, Staffordshire, with the Stafford & Stone Canoe Club. 

The athlete has been competing internationally for Great Britain and winning medals since the age of 14. 

Since 2020, he has been sponsored by JCB.

He said: “I was very close to a medal last time around in Tokyo and I have learned a lot in these last few years and I am ready to give it my all and let’s hope we can get on to the podium this time.”

He continued: “The backing of JCB means so much to me and knowing that I am supported by such a brilliant company which is local to me and where I grew up is fantastic.

“It’s huge and having that support will give me that extra bit of energy when I am sprinting to the finish line.”

JCB chairman Anthony Bamford said: “We all send Adam our very best wishes and wish him the best of luck this summer.”

It’s fair to say Burgess does things very differently to his team-mates.

He first tried breathwork, a conscious form of breathing practice, as rehabilitation for a shoulder injury in 2017.

Met with some scepticism, Burgess believes the practice has been key to resuscitating a career which also includes a number of medals.

He said: “When people hear ‘breathwork’, their mind jumps to lying on the ground or sitting quietly in meditation. 

“I’m interested in functional breathing.

“There is also a performance element and there are certain things in my warm-up that I don’t see any other athlete doing.

“It’s complimentary to the work we do with strength and conditioning and the physios, but it is a different feel.”

Burgess swears by yoga breathwork to help with rehabilitationGetty

He added: “The barrier for most athletes is that their ego gets in the way. 

“It can feel like a step back to take two forwards, which is where people struggle – I’ve gone there and the proof is in the pudding, I think.

“I’m hoping that another Olympic Games will inspire me to raise the profile and teach it in schools,” he said.

How many medals has Adam Burgess won?

Burgess has won five medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with two silvers in 2017 and 2023.

He also won three bronzes in 2013 and 2015 with the C2 team, as well as in 2018 with the C1 team.

The Stoke-on-Trent local also won five medals at the European Championships including a gold, one silver and three bronzes. 

This included a bronze in the C1 team event at the 2023 European Games in Kraków. 

He is the 2015 U23 World Champion in C1.

Is Adam Burgess competing in canoe slalom at the Paris 2024 Olympics?

Burgess is back competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

He will take part in the canoe slalom heats on Saturday, July 27. 

The semi-finals and final take place on Monday, July 29. 

He will compete in the kayak cross heat on Tuesday, July 30, with the semi-final and final taking place on Thursday, August 1.