Former Canadian Olympic athlete training for future in the sky

When they aren’t flying, pilots often share anecdotes of extracurricular activities they indulge in, mimicking the rush of flight. Whether it’s riding the open road without a destination, or mind-over-matter scenarios like adventuring onto mountaintops and glaciers, pilots seek exhilaration.

Tristan Walker is no different. He’s spent the past two decades being part of Canada’s Olympic silver medal-winning relay team. But after competing for his fourth and final time at the Olympic Games Beijing 2022, he began pursuing a career “after luge.”

Today, as he works towards a commercial helicopter license, he acknowledges that “retiring from a sport you’ve been doing for 20 years isn’t easy.”

To immerse himself in the helicopter industry, Walker said he searched for online stories and publications for inspiration.

Inspired by Vertical Magazine’s content (Skies‘ sister publication), the four-time Olympic athlete reached out on Instagram and enthusiastically agreed to share how he was introduced to the aviation industry and what motivated him to seek out a career as a pilot.

Walker admits his love of speed and aircraft was harvested from his earnest admiration for his late grandfather, Len Bolger, a test pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

“I grew up with everything aviation,” he said. “My grandfather was working on the Avro Arrow program right before it was canceled.”

Known as one of the first RCAF CF-100 pilots to restart and recover an aircraft experiencing double engine failure at low altitude, Bolger was posted at the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment (CEPE) where he tested Sparrow 2 missiles designed for the Avro Arrow. Bolger, who retired from RCAF 409 Squadron in 1959, died of cancer in 2007 at age 76.

Walker said it was while “[building] model airplanes” and avidly listening to his grandfather’s stories that his desire to fly was conceived.

And after committing two decades of his life to luging, he shared with Skies that he always knew his journey would eventually lead him to a flight deck.

“After the 2018 Olympics, it was kind of up in the air (pun intended) whether or not I was going to be doing another four years. So, I started taking a more serious look at what was going to [happen] next, and deep down, I always knew it was going to be something with flying,” he said.

As he works towards his commercial helicopter license, he shared that he chose helicopters instead of fixed-wing aircraft because they’re “a little more hands-on.”

As an athlete who built a career on speed and adrenaline, an office environment wouldn’t cut it.

“[Although], I have learned that the less adrenaline you can produce while flying, the better,” he quipped.

“I really like the idea of [a career in] search-and-rescue (SAR), [and] air ambulance is up there, too,” he added. “But I’m also pretty drawn to offshore stuff. And, for me, growing up in Calgary as a prairie kid, the offshore stuff does mean traveling, which is something I’m quite drawn to.”

Walker’s substantial social following has helped open doors for the retired competitor, including a “full circle” experience with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds in 2019.

“There aren’t too many life experiences that can compare to winning a medal at the Olympics. [But] taking a rip with the Snowbirds is one of them.”

Walker’s once-in-a-lifetime Snowbirds experience became possible after he reached out to the team via its newly-created Instagram account.

“[Back then], they had less than 10 followers. I sent a message, and I said, ‘Welcome to Instagram; if there’s anything I can do to help your channel, I’d love to.'”

He offered to help build their following and was invited to Comox, British Columbia, to participate in a spring training media flight with the Snowbirds. His flight onboard Snowbird 9, piloted by Capt Taylor Evans of Canmore, Alberta, was “mind-blowing.”

“We were in formation [with] long, sweeping turns while following a [CC-115] Buffalo with a camera crew in it,” described Walker. “Right at the end, they pulled a full loop right over and in line with the runway, and as soon as the g-force kicked in, adrenaline hit.”

He admitted: “That was one of my life’s top three cool experiences.”

Following the media flight, Walker was able to return the favor. He and his doubles partner Justin Snith took the Snowbirds “down in a summer bobsled.” Afterwards, the team said it was one of their “favorite things” they’d ever participated in.

Walker recalled the moment he first encountered Capt Jenn Casey, who was instrumental in orchestrating his media flight with the Snowbirds.

“Many people have heard the story of us getting to do our media flight, but there’s something a little less known,” he joked. “When we were here for the Wings Over Springbank Airshow (Calgary, Alberta), I got to ride my motorcycle right out on the apron and park it right next to the jets.

“I was talking to one of the pilots, and I [said, jokingly], ‘We have all the ingredients here to recreate that Top Gun scene.’ Jenn overheard it, and she [said], ‘Hang on, I’ve got to make a call.'”

Casey made a call to the airshow air boss.

“I got to rip up the taxiway, [and] did a little wheelie [alongside the Snowbirds during take-off] while Danger Zone (by Kenny Loggins) played over the loudspeaker.”

Walker chuckled as he recalled the event, admitting he’s pretty sure he’s “the only guy to do that.”

As he looks back at the success he’s celebrated, he credits his grandfather’s RCAF Wings for bringing him luck. The pilot wings lapel pin was safely secured inside the arm of his speed suit for all of his Olympic runs (2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022).

“Unfortunately, he never got to see me become an Olympian, but I know that the love of speed I inherited from him took me all the way to the podium.”

Currently, Walker has completed 30 hours (in a Guimbal Cabri G2) of his training towards a commercial pilot license at BC Helicopters in Abbotsford. He admits his biggest obstacle is on par with most pilots trying to put themselves through training: finances.

“I’m looking at spending [up to] $70,000 to get my license,” he said. “And on top of that, there’s a high likelihood [I’ll be] sweeping hangars for a certain amount of time before flying. But, as you can imagine, I’m not one to give up a goal.”

Recently completing his first solo in the Cabri G2 has amped Walker’s motivation to keep testing his abilities as a pilot.

He added: “There’s still a long way to go and a bunch of emergency procedures that I want to make sure [I have] nailed down before I start taking it a little bit farther away. I’ve only gone solo with my instructor close by.”

And for the 32-year-old who has been sledding since he was 10, even “sweeping hangars” will be completed with drive and passion.

“I get to hang out with aircraft because helicopters will be right there in the hangar — and helicopters are cool, even on the ground.”