March was a busy month at Paddle Australia, with many events, celebrations and launches taking place right across the country.
It was also a very tough month for some of our community who were affected by the recent flooding emergencies across Queensland and New South Wales. Our thoughts are with those members who were affected. Paddle Australia is here to support so if there is anything we can do to assist, please get in touch.
Before the floods, it was great to be able to enjoy two fabulous weekends at Penrith for the 2022 PA Canoe Sprint Grand Prix 2 and 2022 Canoe Slalom Australian Open. The Sydney International Regatta Centre and Penrith Whitewater Stadium venues are both world class venues that remain a significant legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and each time we host an event at the venues is special.
As April fast approaches, we look forward to bringing our community back together – with three national events set to take place across three weeks and three states. The 2022 PA Canoe Polo Championships will be held at West Lakes in South Australia from 15-18 April, followed by the 2022 PA Canoe Slalom Championships at Bradys Lake in Tasmania from 21-14 April and the 2022 PA Canoe Marathon Championships at Coomera Watersports in Queensland from 22-24 April.
Due to the effects of the aforementioned floods, we have also had to make the decision to postpone the 2022 PA Canoe Sprint Championships which were scheduled for April. While we carefully considered the different options, including a change of venue, we remain committed to delivering the event in Penrith. The 2022 PA Canoe Sprint Championships will now be held from 18-22 May 2022.
In a busy events season, it would be remiss of me to not mention the tireless work and time spent by our community volunteers who ensure our events run smoothly. Volunteers are the heart and soul of our sport, and our competitions and events simply would not be possible without their support. My personal thanks goes out to all volunteers.
I hope to see you all on the water soon!
Yours in Paddling,
Phil Jones
Paddle Australia CEO
