Local kayaker Nikita Carroll paddling with Sophie Hughes from Bendigo in the Under 18 world championships selection race.
Last month 15 members of the Yarrawonga Mulwala Canoe Club made the trip to Victor Harbour in South for the 2024 Paddle Australia Canoe Marathon Championships coming home with a swag of medals.
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Hosted at Encounter Lakes not far away from the Mouth of the Murray six of the club's juniors and four seniors were among the over 200 local and international paddlers that raced on a tight and technical course over distances that varied from 3km to 16km.
The championships were held over three days and each day there were several sessions involving elite paddlers racing for national team selection, junior paddlers trying to win a gold, silver or bronze medal, master and general class paddlers battling it out in their own class events.
The YMACC had one of the largest teams at the event with most racing sessions including at least one paddler or team from Yarrawonga, which was noticed by the local media that used the Yarrawonga Mulwala Canoe Club as the lead story in the Fleurieu Sun.
Kayakers from the Yarrawonga Mulwala Amateur Canoe Club achieved some outstanding results. With all the juniors' girls coming home with at least 1 National Championship Medal.
Young paddlers Azaria McBurnie and Ruby Stevens winning their doubles race.
Day one was the toughest day were all the girls had to compete on their own against the best paddlers in Australia in the K1 singles event, the highly competitive world championship selection event for the under 18 saw Nikita Carroll, just miss out on a medal finishing in fourth place with Zoe Schweda and Kristi Hardman just finishing in sixth and seventh position.
Following this event, we had our first Australian Champion with Natalie Drew Cole winning the para class with Brooke Cole finishing in the silver medal position. In the same session under 14 paddler Azaria McBurnie and under 16 paddler Ruby Stevens overcame capsizing to both finish their races plus earlier in the day Andrew White won a silver medal in the general veteran master 45 to 55 age group.
The second day involved doubles racing with Zoe and Kristi paring up and Nikita paddling with Sophie Hughes from Bendigo in the Under 18 world championships selection race, with Nikita and Sophie finishing in third place, winning a bronze medal but just missing Australian team selection with Zoe and Kristi finishing fourth.
After both Azaria and Ruby falling in on the first day, they teamed well in the doubles to win the general class under 16 female race. Earlier in the day mums Janet Schweda and Jenny Hardman competed the general class master double event finishing in fourth place.
Zoe Schweda performed well in the short course event finishing third.
The final day involved the short course event where the paddlers did a 1km course three times with a portage each lap and this was an advantage for the girls with Nikita winning the silver medal and Zoe who held the lead early in the event holding on to win the bronze medal and Kristi finishing in fourth place.
Prior to these races there was a mixed double event were Kristi teamed up with the coach Tim Roadley to win a bronze medal in the open general class race and Andrew White and Ruby Stevens finished in fourth place.
It was a proud coach Tim Roadley who started a junior program ten years ago to provide young kids in the local community the opportunity to give paddling a go.
“Now we have six young girls that have been through the program and have a national championship medal,” Tim said.
As well as the short course selection races, there was also general class short course races with Natalie Drew Cole making it two gold medals at the event and Brooke Coke also winning her second silver medal in the Para Class, and Andrew White won a bronze medal in the master's general class.
Over the three days paddlers from the Yarrawonga Mulwala Amateur Canoe Club obtained the following results: 3 Gold Medals, 4 Silver Medals, 3 Bronze Medals.
“Well, done to everyone who competed and to the local business Belle’s Cafe and Priority Fitness that supported the club,” Tim said.
“The club will be back on the water after the winter break to get ready for the 2025 championships that will be held in Perth WA.”
