Six marathon kayakers from the MPA endurance program, paddling for Lane Cove River and Windsor kayak clubs, participated in the 2024 Paddle Australia Canoe Marathon and SUP Championships held in Encounter Lakes, South Australia.
Brett, James, Daniela, Cass, Steve and Dmytro competed as part of the larger New South Wales team across various categories, including opens, masters, singles, and doubles.
Those paddlers from the MPA program truly punched above their weight, bringing home a remarkable haul of nine gold, five silver, and two bronze medals at the National Championships:
James and his partner, Matthew Gates from Canberra, battled it out in the most competitive open category, securing a well-deserved bronze medal and a spot in the Australian team for the coming Marathon World Championship.
Brett and Daniela dominated their races, claiming gold medals in all their K1 and K2 categories.
Cass, having started at the introductory level of the MPA program, impressed in her second national-level event winning two silver medals - one in K1 and another with Steve in the double race.
Dmytro pushed to the limit at the finish sprints in the long and short marathon K1 races, claiming silver and bronze medals.
Daniela's exceptional performance was further recognized as she was named Masters Marathon Female Paddler of the Year by Paddle Australia.
Solid effort and great testing ground for MPA members who will be representing Australia at World Marathon Championship in Croatia later this year.
