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- by Alex Monnig April 12, 2011
After successfully navigating some off-course obstacles, Scott Mann and Dana Benus Mann are hoping they can turn their focus back to the water and concentrate on qualifying for the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2011.
Together for three years in a back-and-forth international relationship, Scott, 26, married Dana, 28, who hails from Bratislava, Slovakia (also known as SVK) 
, on Oct. 2, 2010. The two eschewed training in Australia (also known as AUS) 
with fellow paddlers to wait for Dana’s green card, which arrived earlier this year, set up in their Bethesda, Md., home and, with their domestic affairs in order, are now free to put all their energy back in to kayaking.
They showed just what they’re capable of in March at the 2011 Bank of America Whitewater U.S. Open on the Natahala River in North Carolina: Scott won the men’s kayak event and Dana captured the women’s kayak title.
Although they were both happy to triumph together, neither is letting the success cloud their visions of obtaining long term goals, most pressing of which is performing well at the USA Canoe/Kayak National Team Trials April 15-17, 2011, in Charlotte.
“I didn’t really try to peak at (the U.S. Open),” Dana said. “It is only one for me to (prepare) for my own selection in Slovakia (also known as SVK) . In Slovakia it’s really hard to be good because I have a double Olympic champion and a world champion in my class. In order to be in the team I really have to be good.”
Scott shares the same sentiments as his wife.
“That was one of the events I was looking for to gauge myself and see what needed work,” he said. “Having a good result and being able to put the pieces together — the technical and the mental and the psychological — on the weekend was certainly good, but at the same time it’s early. It’s three weeks before the race. I have to stay mindful that the race that matters, that will set the stage for the rest of my year, is still coming.”
The Team Trials will help determine who represents the United States (also known as USA) 
at the international level in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics. Scott is a two-time national champion and a two-time Olympic alternate (2004, 2008). His goal is to end that alternate status next summer.
While Dana still will represent her home country in international competition, she will use the meet to train and give herself a better chance to compete with champions in Slovakia. The first major step toward London after the Trials is the World Championships, which this year happens to be held in Bratislava.
“I picked the right girl for this World Championships,” Scott said. “As long as Trials and everything go well I can just go live in Bratislava and train on the course, so that works out nicely.”
The kayaking couple met in 2007 at a race in Murano, Italy (also known as ITA) 
.
“I was doing some move on the water, and she was on the water laughing at me. So, we got off on a good foot,” he said.
After hanging out together over the course of the competition in Italy, the two went their separate ways. But email correspondence led to meeting up at another competition, after which Dana asked Scott if he wanted to go back to Bratislava with her. Although he only planned to stay for a week, Scott moved his flight back twice and ended up living with Dana and her family for three.
“There was good training there, and it was fun, and I was having a really great time,” he said. “And then she came over to the U.S. a few weeks after I went home, and we sort of went back and forth.”
Before settling in Bethesda, the two shuffled between the U.S. and Europe depending on where the weather and competition schedule was more suitable for optimal paddling practice. Dana would come to the U.S. in the winter or early spring and compete in the American race series, and then Scott would travel to Europe to train in the summer. Both feel that they benefit from the overlap between their paddling and domestic lives.
“That’s how we got to know each other, and it’s our life right now,” Dana said. “It’s a good way for us to spend time together and enjoy each other. He’s a really great paddler, and I can learn a lot of things from him. I definitely enjoy it.”
Scott said that the familiarity he and his wife have with each other benefits them when they are going through rough patches in the water.
“We both know each other really well, how we paddle,” he said. “We can provide good critiques. And we know each other’s moods and emotions, so we can help each other train more effectively. We give each other motivation on days when it’s hard to get up, or when it’s cold. It’s good to have another person there to help you get in the water.”
Scott and Dana have come a long way, literally traveling thousands of miles between the U.S. and Slovakia. Their next challenge will be to qualify to once again represent their respective countries internationally. Scott is confident that they will be able to help each other achieve just that.
“I think we both truly love paddling and really enjoy the sport. It’s something we share, and I think that in itself is beneficial because we can pull from each other’s motivation in the sport. It’s been an awesome experience, and I’ve certainly enjoyed it.”
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Alex Monnig is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies. Tags: Alex Monnig, Dana Benus Mann, London 2012 Olympic Games, Scott Mann