A few weeks ago I was supposed to teach a disc golf clinic and do an interview for the Chatter in the Woods community newsletter at Redwood Meadows but unfortunately a snowstorm caused the organizers to postpone the event, including the clinic and the interview. Fortunately I was still able to connect with local youth writer Matthew Cowen, who interviewed me for the November 2020 edition of the newsletter.
Matthew: My first question to Rob was what he thought the links between Frisbee and Disc Golf are?
Rob: Frisbee is like Swimming or Track and Field, it has multiple disciplines, one of them being Disc Golf. There’s also Ultimate Frisbee and Double Disc Court but there’s many more. *For a full list of the disciplines and frisbee games, visit Ageless Game.
M: What got you into the sport?
R: I was Athlete of the Year in Grade 12, but I didn’t start playing frisbee until after High School when I bought a Frisbee to stay in shape. There was no Youtube or anything like that to teach me how to throw, so I taught myself, and now Frisbee is what I do full time!
M: What did you do to become a world record holder?
R: You have to know what records are out there, you can’t just attempt it randomly. There’s lots of planning that goes into the events, and there has to be a full crew there, making sure you follow the guidelines. I just want to push my limits and inspire others to do the same. I also get to meet some previous record-holders.
M: How does it feel to become a World Champion?
R: It feels really cool. I have thirteen World Championships in lots of different disciplines, my favourite being Self-Caught Flight. I have five of those in a row which is really cool because every time you have to face different competitors, in different places and in different circumstances. The best thing about winning a Championship is that no one can take it away from you, unlike World Records. I love how I can handle the pressure of these events and try my best to win.
M: Do you play any other sports?
R: I made the decision a while ago that I just wanted to focus on Frisbee. The nice thing about Frisbee is that there are so many disciplines and sub-sports that if you get bored you can switch to a different kind of Frisbee. In the winter, I play Frisbee on ice, and in the Summer I play Ultimate Frisbee or Disc Golf.
M: Redwood has an ice rink, would you ever be able to come here and do Frisbee on Ice?
R: Unfortunately, the rink at Redwood isn’t big enough for me to do my long throw, my record is over 100 yards which I did on a frozen lake in Edmonton. There are age division records, so I’ve been trying to find kids under eighteen that want to go after the records, I would love to find some Redwood kids that would like to have a go.
–> Contact Frisbee Rob if you are under eighteen and want to break some records on the ice!
M: What have you achieved in Disc Golf?
R: My best achievement is the World Overall Disc Golf title. This summer I played ten tournaments and I won one. Disc Golf is more something I do for fun. I love Disc Golf and I promote it, but Frisbee is my passion.
M: How can Redwood promote people to use the course?
R: The best way is to just let people know that it’s there, hold clinics and bring people in to teach the basics, like how to throw a frisbee.
M: I really hope “Frisbee Rob” McLeod still makes it out to Redwood because he is a true expert in the world
of Frisbee. If you want to be inspired check out his website, particularly the video where he scores a basket with a Frisbee from the other side of the basketball court!