Page 4494 - Week 14 - Thursday, 28 November 2013
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The Burley Griffin Canoe Club, which celebrates its 23rd anniversary this year, is an ACT-based community organisation that caters for all paddling disciplines, from flat water marathon racing, canoe polo, ocean racing, stand-up paddle boarding and sprinting, to recreational and touring kayaking. Its members have represented the club at national and international events. For the last two years the club has won the prestigious New South Wales marathon racing club of the year trophy.
The 24-hour relay challenge is the club’s signature event. The aim of the competitors is to paddle as many laps of a four-kilometre course as possible on the Molonglo River within a 24-hour time limit, from 10 am on Saturday to 10 am on Sunday. The race is open to all levels of kayakers, ocean ski paddlers and stand-up paddle boarders, each going hard and competing against each other and the clock.
The event has grown in size and stature over the years, and this year saw many interstate paddlers from New South Wales and Victoria come to Canberra. Over the last two years there has also been a significant increase in the number of corporate teams, with many participants subsequently joining Burley Griffin Canoe Club.
In addition to being a personal kayaking challenge, the 24-hour is also a fundraising event. This year over $4,000 was raised for Marymead, a community-based not-for-profit organisation with a 43-year history of supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families.
I congratulate the winning individual paddler, Richard Barnes from New South Wales, who paddled 196 kilometres, and the winning team composed of Canberra and south coast paddlers—Adam Scott, Karmen Ison, Richard Fox, Allan Newhouse, Ben Hannan, our own Russell Lutton from Hansard, and team manager extraordinaire Carolyn Williams—who paddled 260 kilometres in the 24 hours for the outright win in this year’s challenge.
Worthy of note too was BGCC junior Ben Rake, who set the fastest lap time of 17 minutes 10 seconds in the race. Also thanks to Ceara Clark and James Suthern for their contribution to raising funds for Marymead.
Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank community groups like the Yarralumla Residents Association, where Marea Fatseas and her committee have made us very welcome. I congratulate the committee on their active involvement that has produced some marvellous community activities, such as the centenary community dinner that had over 400 residents involved.
I also congratulate the Inner South Community Council and Manuka Traders, Woden Community Council, Narrabundah Community Association, Hackett Community Association, Kingston Traders, who have taken such civic pride in their initiative to restore Green Square, and the Eastlakes Cricket Club and president Phil Winter and his committee for their initiatives and contribution to development of young cricketers. I congratulate Woden Valley Football Club on their ability to maintain such a large junior football club with around 2,000 players. Their resources are stretched to the limit, but people like John Brooks, John Helgerson, Gordon Carmichael and Alan Hinde inspire their colleagues by their own volunteering efforts.
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