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My Prostate Cancer Update. My PSA level has been rising and the
doctors indicated 6 months ago that I would have to have radiation this year. It is still rising, but less than expected so I'm at a watch and act at the moment, which means I will be checked every three months. I feel as fit as 6 fiddles and as happy as Larry and I'm in the hope that my PSA levels will continue to rise very
slowly and I won't need radiation for some time, so bring on paddling hard in 2023. (The PSA test is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer. The test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your blood. PSA is a protein produced by both cancerous and
noncancerous tissue in the prostate, a small gland that sits below the bladder in males.) Well it's been another big week of paddling, but next week you can relax and enjoy Christmas.
- Find A Canoe Club
Down River Training/Skills - Progressive Racing Group
- Who's Out
There
- Double Training Session
- Canning River Race
- Canoe Sprint GP1
- Birds Along The Way
- Coming
Events
Skills It's skills month. If you want to increase your skills come and join in.
Friday evening skills session on again tonight at Ascot.
The perfect way to better your skills.
Steph Bedden showing her skills.
It was a cold, blustery, wettish morning and only the die-hards were out.
Kevin Johnson and Dave Tupling.
To celebrate the holidays Ramon has his squad doing double training sessions before Christmas.
I don't usually see squads out at 8.15am in the mornings.
Doing double training sessions might just tire them out.
Paddlers getting ready for the start. Photo Bronwyn Martin. I never like asking someone to do a car shuffle and the parking at Deep Water Point is pretty bad so I drove straight to the finish and then paddled to the
start. With the wind waves for the first kilometre, and areas of shallow water later it can be a tough race and probably not my favourite, but it’s a race and no matter how tough it is, it has to be done. As we gathered around for briefing and the start, the wind built up which made it more of a concern for the less experienced kayakers rather than the ski paddlers. Last year on this first open section the ski paddlers left me behind and I had to do some catching up and I imagined it would happen again this year.
But I was wrong. As soon as div 3 was off a pack of ski paddlers formed over to my left and they seemed to be getting away, but as I got closer to Mt Henry Bridge I started to catch up and I eventually led into the cove and around the turn buoy. As I turned to go out of the cove my opposition, Paul Waters and Simon O’Sullivan came up either side of me which was a pain as I thought I had got rid of them. As we left the cove we started to bog down in the shallows, I skirted a patch of weed which I imagine Paul might have collected some of it on his rudder as after that I didn’t see him for a while. At this point I accelerated and managed to get in front of Simon and I didn’t see him again, although for the next few kilometres I had no idea how far Simon, Paul, or Erica were behind. Then some of the div 2 and div 1 paddlers started passing. When we reached the area where a line of wooden posts are in the water Grant
Pepper and young Hunter Florisson paddled to the right of them and I went to the left. For a moment I thought I was catching up but when we entered the next bay my hopes faded.
The three leaders - Corn Longwood, Harry Hewitt and Luke Dooley. Photo Bronwyn Martin.
Charlie Hewitt, Ben Hewitt, Noah Boldy and Andy Heartcliffe. Photo Bronwyn Martin.
Grant Pepper & Paul Paardekooper. Photo Bronwyn
Martin.
At the last bay before the water pipeline no-one took the short cut across the flats as it was extremely low, instead followed the spit posts indicating deeper water. It was at the pipeline where I
spotted Paul and Erica. I think Erica was washriding John Hilton who was paddling across the shallow section like it wasn’t there. Matt Jones and Jade Lane were giving chase. Between Shelly and Riverton Bridge I had Paul beside me, Erica on my tail and Chris Buxton, who was in div 2 come up and
pass. I tried desperately not to lose him but it was so hard trying to keep up with him in the shallows after Riverton Bridge, but I did. At the short cut John and Matt took it, but it looked so shallow that I decided to take the longer route with Chris. Jade, who we caught up with, after she passed us earlier, was going to take the long route and all of a sudden changed direction and decided on the short cut. Although we beat Jade to where we merge, John and Matt had extended their
lead. Paul was still going hard next to me and Jade caught up, but she gave out so little wash that it was virtually impossible to wash ride her. By the Kent Street Weir turn all three were slightly ahead with Jade being in the lead, but after the turn I was back behind Jade, and ahead of
Chris and Paul before they eventually caught up.
Matt, Jade, John, Paul, me, Chris and Erica.
Photo Bronwyn Martin.
I could see it was going to be a tight race between me and Paul as Chris and Jade were in div 2 and eventually Chris managed to get away leaving me and Chris to fight it out. With less than a
kilometre to go an Epic double ski with David Macaulay / Luc Jacob came by but unfortunately for me they passed on Paul’s side so he got a better wash. As we neared the end and back in the shallows Dave & Luc increased their pace, which caused me some pain, as I was dropped and Paul kept with
them. So four hundred metres from the finish line the 1st place that I was hoping to get in div 3 suddenly dropped to second place. No matter what I did in thoses last few hundred metres Paul was just too fast and too far ahead. Erica, who is as strong as an ox came in third. It was another good tough race and to warm down I paddled back upstream to escort the last paddler home and completing 24kms for the morning. It was thanks to John Hilton, Doug Hodson and the many volunteers who managed the
race.
David Macaulay / Luc Jacob, Michael Glorie, Simon O'Sullivan, Chris Hollier, Sal Weyers / Warren Southwell and Darryl Long. Photo Bronwyn Martin.
Delia West / Graeme Hudson. Delia and Graeme are from
Queensland and holidaying in Perth for week or two. Photo Bronwyn Martin.
Lily Farrell I have given Lily 3 months to beat
me!! Photo Bronwyn Martin.
Chris Meadwell, Julie McDonald & Marie Andersson. Photo
Bronwyn Martin.
Canoe Sprint GP 1
West Lakes, Adelaide Michelle Major Sprint races summary. Some great performances from open to 16’s. Picking out just a selection. 1st WK1 200. Yale Steinepreis  . 4th MK1 200. Luke Egger. First event since nats 2021.
 2nd WK1 18 500 and 1000. Sammy Lourey. 2nd MK1. 18 500. Mitch Tamblin and A finals in others. Combining well with Charlie Heaton Armstrong in the k2. 16’s had a smaller field with direct finals but good results and depth from WA. Connor Jacob 1st 200 and 500 with 2nd in 1000m. Joshua Pitts 3rd 200. Boys combining to win the 200. Adelaide Hilton winning the 200 and 500, 2nd in 1000. Stella Dark 1st in the 1000. Harper Gamble with a strong 500 in 2nd. Girls combining to take out 1 and 2 in the k2 and looked great in the k4. Mens Open Lachlan Armstrong making the 200 A final. Greed boys making the b final in the 200 mk1. Solid k2 200 from Matt and Nick. Awesome efforts from Jonathan Clarke and Dylan deVries to mix it with the big boys across all 3 days. We are all very proud of you. In the strong womens open
field - pleasing to see Selma, Abbey and Gen make B finals in all events and 3rd for Selma in the 500 b final. We were well represented in the 18’s girls individually and in team boats taking out the wk4 18 500. K2 200 1st Sammy /Alyssa - 3rd Belle /Sarah. 200m/1000m - Belle and Sarah Thanks also to Kathleen o’ Kelly-Kennedy for dropping in to talk with our juniors and catching the WA contingent.
Taking on the long distance race.
16’s 2.5km (3 laps) with no portage and 18’s-opens 5km (6 laps
with 5 portages).
Sprint paddlers portaging.
With the GP1 done and dusted it finished off with a Long Distance Race.
This regatta included the Long Distance Race National Championships so we have newly crowned National champions and medallists and congratulations to all that gave this event a go for the first time. Gold and National Champions WK1 18 Sammy Lourey WK1 16 Sarah Major MK 2 16 Connor Jacob and Josh Pitts Silver/2nd MK1 18 Mitch Tamblin WK1 16 Adelaide Hilton WK2 16 Adelaide Hilton/Stella Dark MK1 16 Connor Jacob Bronze WK1 16 Stella Dark Photo acknowledgment Lawrence Greed)
Osprey. That fish would make a good meal and make the fisher
people jealous.
Yet another pelican with a fishing line in it mouth and tangled around its leg.
I called Sea Bird Rescue.
Mary Walsh and partner trying to catch the pelican that was tangled in the fishing line. They managed to catch it eventually but there was another one that they weren't able to catch that day. They will
return.
Club Carbon - $460 - 737g
- Carbon fibre blade, Green oval shaft
- Fully adjustable length & feather
- Includes Paddle Bag
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