Declan Burns is an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 sprint canoer

Canoe racing

This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....

 who competed from the mid 1970s to the late 1980s. At the 1976 Summer Olympics

1976 Summer Olympics

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...

 in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, he was eliminated in the repechages of both the K-2 500 m

Canoeing at the 1976 Summer Olympics - Men's K-2 500 metres

The men's K-2 500 metres event was a pairs kayaking event conducted as part of the Canoeing at the 1976 Summer Olympics program. This event made its debut at these games.-Medalists:-Heats:The 21 crews first raced in three heats on July 28...

 and the K-4 1000 m

Canoeing at the 1976 Summer Olympics - Men's K-4 1000 metres

The men's K-4 1000 metres event was a fours kayaking event conducted as part of the Canoeing at the 1976 Summer Olympics program.-Medalists:-Heats:The 20 crews first raced in three heats on July 29...

 events. Four years later

1980 Summer Olympics

The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...

 in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, Burns was eliminated in the repechages of the K-1 500 m

Canoeing at the 1980 Summer Olympics - Men's K-1 500 metres

The men's K-1 500 metres event was an individual kayaking event conducted as part of the Canoeing at the 1980 Summer Olympics program.-Medalists:-Heats:...

 event. At his third and final Summer Olympics

1988 Summer Olympics

The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...

 in Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, he was eliminated in the semifinals of the K-2 1000 m

Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's K-2 1000 metres

The men's K-2 1000 metres event was a pairs kayaking event conducted as part of the Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics program.-Medalists:-Heats:...

 event.

History

Declan, to his own disliking, is more widely recognised for his participation in the 'Superstars

Superstars

Superstars is an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon....

' event and his pull-up record breaking credentials. Declan would have preferred being more recognised for his first sport, kayaking

Kayaking

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...

, but his all round ability as an athlete led him to this new challenge. Declan won the 1980 Irish Superstars

Superstars

Superstars is an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon....

 and went on to compete on the world stage in Key Biscine, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. Declan performed well in all events and set a new world record for pull-ups in a minute (57 at the time) but fell just short of first place to South African racing driver Jody Schekter. Declan's incredible performance on the world stage propelled him to fame in his own country of Ireland, he became a household name in the process. He broke the world record for pull-ups on numerous occasions and is what he became most famous for in his home country.

Declan also participated at many world championships, most notably in Duisburg in '79 when he exited at the semi-final stage of the K1-500 after coming 4th, to the eventual gold, silver and bronze medal winners of the event. It would have been Declans maiden final appearance.
Declan also tried his hand at triathlon during the mid-80s to good success but he returned to kayaking in '87 and made the '88 Olympics with K2 partner Peter Connor(canoer).

Nowadays Declan lives just outside Enniskillen in a townland called Coa with his family.