Don Brien is a lifelong athlete whose achievements in the sport of kayaking are recognized both nationally and internationally. His career began in 1975 at the Banook Canoe Club in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. That’s when he decided to join his brother Alvin, who became Don’s mentor in the sport.

Success came quickly for Don as he became a National Champion, received gold at the Canada Games, and was the North American K-1 Champion. He was named to the National team in 1977 (a position he would hold for twelve years). Two years later, in 1980, Don and Alvin made the Olympic team, but unfortunately, the Canadian Government boycotted the Games.

Sadly, Alvin passed away in 1982, but Don used this to his advantage by looking to Alvin for strength as his internal training companion.

Throughout his career, Don has won 20 Canadian Paddling Championships: K-1, K-2, and K-4, at the juvenile, junior and senior levels. Internationally, Don represented Canada every year from 1982-1989. Between 1983 and 1987 he was ranked in the top five in the world in K-2 and K-4 events, and was part of the Olympic team in 1984 and 1988. In 1985 Don and Colin Shaw won a bronze at the world championships in the K-2 1,000 metre. It was in 2007 that Don returned to the water to train after being invited to the World Dragon Boat Championships, where his team won gold at the event in Australia.

After his retirement from kayaking, he used his talent and dedication from years of competition to become an orthopaedic surgeon. Along with all of Don’s success he continues to remain involved in the community and his family life.