Baldock finds way to Sports Hall

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Back in the early 70s, Simcoe’s David Baldock attended a course that would alter his life.

A teacher in Toronto at the time, he learned about orienteering – a Scandinavian sport that combines racing and navigation with a compass through diverse and often unfamiliar terrain.

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“It’s like playing chess and running a marathon at the same time,” he says. “A half an hour after you finish, you just feel fantastic.”

Baldock was so enamoured with the sport he went on to compete at events throughout North America, capturing both provincial and national titles.

For those efforts – and the fact he became a teacher and advocate for the sport – Baldock will join the Norfolk County Sports Hall of Recognition this summer.

“I was surprised,” he said. “It was one of those things where you participate in something and to be recognized for it is nice.”

Baldock’s successful orienteering career will come as no surprise to his peers and former students – it combines two interests in one athletic package.

“I was a math head for a number of years and I like to play games,” he said. “The idea of doing something that was mentally and physically challenging at the same time in the outdoors just caught me – I loved it. When we started to have a family, it was super because the whole family can participate.”

Baldock went on to say the hurdles to overcome during events were the most enticing proposition of all.

“In a variety of things in my life, I never give up,” he said. “If what I tried to solve in one of the legs of the course didn’t work, I can easily adapt and say ‘I’m no longer where I thought I was, now I’ve got to get to where I have to get to.”

With his wife Nancy and sons Bren and George alongside, the sport took David and his family to locations they likely never would’ve visited otherwise. Their summer vacations consisted of heading to wherever the Canadian championships were being held.

“We toured across Canada doing orienteering,” he noted. “We’ve gone to the east coast and the west coast and down in the States a bit. As far as it being a marvellous activity for families, it has really been a big thing in my life.”

A former teacher at Simcoe Composite and Glendale High School (Tillsonburg), Baldock has worked to establish orienteering courses and enrichment programs for public school children.
Going out of his way to expose the sport to more people was a natural progression for Baldock.

“I’ve enjoyed doing as much as I can with that,” he said. “The more the sport can grow, the better for everybody. It gives me such joy, I just like to have other people have the same joy.”

Baldock and his fellow Class of 2018 members – Peter Timpf, Jim Merrick, David Edmonds, and Paul Davidson (posthumously) – will be honoured at an induction gala at the Delhi Hungarian Hall on July 13.

jrobinson@postmedia.com