Over 15 years' involvement in Olympic teams has done nothing to dull the edge of the team manager, a driven former dinghy champion who will accept no excuses from himself nor his sailors, reports Matthew Sheahan
Olympic profile: Stephen Park (part 2)
How it all started – “I started sailing Mirrors and went on to win the Scottish Schools championships. I was then involved in the Scottish Youth Squad myself before coaching the squad in 1986-7.
“I then went on in 1992 to coach for the Welsh Yachting Association as the national coach, before moving Winner line Cork Week on to work with Jim Saltonstall, coaching at UK youth squad level while still sailing myself.
“After this, in 1996, I worked with the RYA on the Olympic programme, professional sailing career.”
Best/worst quality – “My best quality is my passion for winning, my worst is impatience.”
Hobbies and interests? – “Motorsports and skiing.”
How do you relax? “I go cycling and also like watching movies, mainly thrillers.”
What picks you up when you’re down? – “I get back up with some difficulty. I try to think about things that have gone right and remind myself that you don’t become an idiot overnight.”
Non-sailing ambition – “To learn to freefall and drive a Formula One racing car.”
What’s your plan ‘B’? – “When I was younger I thought I would work in sports marketing. Now I guess I would be a specialist whisky seller.”
Pet hate – “People thinking they’re trying when they’re not.”
Sporting heros – Ayrton Senna and Rodney Pattisson