The 2023 Paddle Australia Awards Night is fast approaching, and we’re pleased to announce and recognise the finalists for the Community award categories.
The Paddle Australia’s (PA) Annual Awards evening is a fantastic opportunity to not only celebrate the successes of our high performance athletes and support staff over the last year, but to also recognise those at the grassroots level who consistently display excellence and contribute positively to our sport.
On Saturday 28 October, the winners of the Paddle Australia Annual Awards will be celebrated across a number of categories, including the community awards: Volunteer of the Year, Club Coach of the Year and Instructor/Guide of the Year.
This year sees six incredible finalists announced for the Volunteer of the Year award in Chris Bates, Darren Forbes, Louise Greenwood, Mathew Schar, Barrie Seabrook and Warren Southwell.
From Australia’s southernmost state, Chris Bates from Tamar Canoe Club in Tasmania has worked tirelessly to grow and develop canoe polo, developing inclusive strategies to encourage women to join and play and devoting many hours to the skill development of new and existing members.
The well-respected founder and face of Newy Paddlers in Throsby Creek, NSW, Darren Forbes continually goes above and beyond for club members, with his passion for paddling and ability to make people feel welcome a large reason for the clubs success.
Secretary of Cobram Barooga Canoe Club in Victoria, Louise Greenwood runs the club’s social media channels, contributes countless hours at local and national events and supports members in all forms of paddling.
South Australia’s Mathew Schar from Northern Districts Canoe Club has helped to re-engage masters athletes in regular competition, inspired increased participation in juniors and actively encouraged gender equity with his positive and energetic style.
Queenslander Barrie Seabrook from Wynnum Redlands Canoe Club volunteered for over 20 years up until his recent passing at the age of 91. When not taking new members under his wing and sharing decades of experience, Seabrook would be repairing kayaks and the Clubhouse itself, turning his hand to anything which would benefit the club.
The last finalist in the category, Warren Southwell from Indian Ocean Paddlers in Western Australia is always the first to offer his services, whether as a sweep or safety in Wildwater, Marathon or Paddle WA races, or as a scrutineer of the Avon Descent to ensure the event is run efficiently and fairly each year.
In the Club Coach of the Year category, six exceptional finalists are in contention for the title.
As coach of the Masters group at Sunshine Coast Paddlesports in Queensland, Nicky Donaldson has worked tirelessly to develop a structured and successful program specifically for 50 to 80 year olds which includes three sessions per week incorporating speed, strength, fitness and endurance components.
Declan Ellis from Big River Canoe Club is the coach of the new and innovative Slalom Scorpions program which brings together slalom paddlers from the Northern NSW region in an online format.
South Australian Jebb Francis-Staite manages a junior kayak development squad at Holdfast Bay Paddle Sports, increasing numbers to ten paddlers in 2023 and developing four of his group to make the SA state team.
Heading north, President of Paddle Queensland, Julian Norton-Smith from Brisbane Paddling Club currently coaches over 180 paddlers on his online training platform, Paddle 2 Fitness.
A local to Western Australia, Demi O’Brien has been integral to the development and success of the Swan Canoe Club’s junior Kayak program, also coaching four WA para-canoe team members to the Australian team in 2023.
Istvan (Steven) Vegh from Patterson Lakes Canoe Club in Victoria is committed to coaching members regardless of level to get the most out of all disciplines, recently coaching two athletes to gold medals at the Paddle Australia Canoe Sprint Championships in Perth.
Phillip Benfield, Allana Bold, Leonie Cockman, Simon Langsford and Nate Welch have been announced as finalists in the Instructor/Guide of the Year category, rounding out the Community awards finalists for the year.
From Paddle New South Wales, Phillip Benefield has completed training and assessment across a wide range of paddle disciplines over the last 12 months, covering everything from the wild waters of North Queensland to remote first aid courses for NSW Paddlers.
Allana Bold from Sandgate Paddling Club in Queensland has demonstrated unwavering commitment and outstanding service to paddling as an instructor and guide, successfully running 11 courses, training 42 paddlers and qualifying a total of 27 individuals during the nomination period.
From Australia’s largest state, Leonie Cockman from Paddle Western Australia is known for consistently introducing fresh ideas that enrich the experience for all, working closely with clubs to ensure more qualified guides and instructors advance into their ranks.
Simon Langsford is a highly respected member of the Paddle South Australia’s Education and Safety team, demonstrating exceptional commitment to skills training, facilitating regular canoe polo training sessions and acting as the leading force behind Basic Skills and Rescue Training.
Heading south, Nate Welch from Paddle Tasmania is recognised as a leader in the industry, and has instructed a range of courses over the past year including White water skills, Rescue 1 and Rescue 2, Basic Raft Guide and Lead Raft Guide, Enclosed Sea Guide and Sea Kayak Instructor courses.
All award winners will be announced on Saturday 28 October at the 2023 PA Awards Evening on the Gold Coast.
