MISSION BEACH OUTRIGGERS MAKE HISTORY IN SINGAPORE

Bronze for Kathy White. Photo credit: Xavier Keutch Photography

‍

By Victoria Velton

‍

Mission Beach Outrigger Canoe Club paddler Kathy White has returned from the Singapore IVF Va’a World Sprints Championships with two world titles and an individual bronze, after helping an Australian crew achieve a feat not seen in almost three decades.

Kathy joined fellow Mission Beach paddlers Clare James and Kate Rolfe, alongside Emma Morgan, Sue Lockwood and Kate Rolfe from Hekili Outrigger Canoe Club in Cairns, to form a combined six-person V6 crew.

‍

The team claimed gold in both the 500m straight sprint and the 1000m sprint featuring three turns, finishing the championship undefeated in both events.

According to Kathy, the last time an Australian team won gold in both V6 sprint events was in 1996.

‍

“It’s a fierce competition,” Kathy said, explaining crews must progress through heats, semi-finals and finals, with some forced to race through repechage.

Conditions in Singapore added another challenge, with intense heat and humidity testing even the Far North Queensland paddlers.

‍

‍

Despite the pressure, the crew remained calm and focused, relying on the work they had put in during months of preparation.

The six paddlers are seasoned competitors across V12, V6, V1 and OC1 racing, but, as Kathy pointed out, are not professional athletes.

‍

“We all work, have family commitments and are time poor; however, we committed to each other to train mostly individually and together as much as we could,” Kathy said.

‍

Previous coaching from Tuki Brown helped lay the foundations for the campaign, giving the crew confidence that they had something special.  

Kathy was the paddler sitting in seat one.

‍

‍

“I am completely focused on my role of stroke with my sight firmly on the finish line, feeling the energy of the canoe and knowing how to get the most out of us to finish strong with lifts when needed,” she said.

‍

For Kathy, the achievement was made possible by the trust between the six paddlers.

Before and after every race, the crew openly discussed what had worked and what could be adjusted.

‍

“It’s often the small changes that make the difference when there are sometimes hundredths of a second between places.”

‍

Kathy also returned home with an individual bronze medal after finishing third in the 500m V1 straight sprint, an achievement she said she was incredibly proud of.

‍

‍

She credited her coach Robyn Saultry for mentoring her through two major world-level challenges this year, including the 52km Kaiwi Channel Solo OC1 crossing from Molokai to Oahu in May.

‍

She also shared the success with her family, friends and the Mission Beach Outrigger Canoe Club community.

‍

For Kathy, Mission Beach itself plays an important role in developing paddlers like her and her team, who are prepared for challenging conditions.

‍

‍

“When you get to paddle in paradise, it’s easy to quickly develop a love of outrigger canoes or any water sport or outdoor adventure for that matter,” she said.

‍

“We don’t shy from adverse conditions, quite the opposite, we thrive on it.

‍

“Not many people can say that they paddled around an island before or after work. We are truly blessed.”