New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) Graeme Kane does two things simply for the love of it. As a firefighter back home, the Scott has so far saved over 20 human lives, while his expertise in weightlifting has brought him to the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
And Kane knows the art of balancing the two. He has been in the sport for more than eight years and saving peoples’ lives in crisis situations the past two years.
The 22-year-old, on his first visit to India, will compete in the 77 kg event scheduled at the showcase Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Kane is happy with the ambience and the facilities at the Games Village, as he looks forward to competing in his maiden Commonwealth Games.
‘When I first saw the facilities at the Village, I was pleasantly surprised. It was beyond my expectation, especially after so many negative reports on the state of the residential towers inside the Village. But after seeing the conditions myself, I must say the whole controversy was uncalled for,’ Kane told IANS.
Kane always wanted to become a firefiighter but it was just a random newspaper search that got him hooked to weighlifting.
‘I always wanted to pick up a sport but I was not sure about which one to go for. One day I read about weightlifting, judo, karate, etc., in the papers and my brother suggested I pick up weighlifting. So, without thinking about it too much, I just got into it. And since then I am loving it,’ he said.
When asked how his career as a firefighter has shaped up, Kane said, ‘I saved more than 20 people last year. I have rescued people from car crashes and it is a great feeling when you save people’s lives. I can’t wait to get back home and be at it again.’
‘A lot of people advised me not go for it but I like to be involved with something which is unpredictable. Firefighting gives me a chance to do that everyday.’
The Scott till now has spent most of his time exploring the Village and is impressed by the services on offer.
He specifically praised the training hall for weightlifting, the international zone and the food served in the dining hall.
‘There were lot of speculations when we left for India. We were not sure about our accommodation. But till now the stay has been hassle free. We have everything here that we need. They have brand new computers for us to be in touch with the family,’ summed up Kane.
(Bharat Sharma can be contacted at bharat.s@ians.in)
