BENDIGO Canoe Club\u2019s annual cup event is back, however for the second year in a row will not run as normal.<\/p>\n
Secretary Tony Misson said the club has worked hard to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, ahead of their annual Bendigo Cup on Sunday, 17 October.<\/p>\n
Normally the cup would take place on the Loddon River at Bridgewater with about 120 paddlers competing, however Lake Weeroona has become the temporary home of the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year we were one of the first sports to return to play, we had to dramatically modify our event,\u201d Mr Misson said.<\/p>\n
Mr Misson said this year\u2019s cup will differ still, with no entry fee and no prize money.<\/p>\n
The event is open to the 80 or so Bendigo Canoe Club members only, with costs cut to support those who have themselves supported the club during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an arrive, paddle and disperse type event,\u201d Mr Misson said. \u201cIt\u2019s more like club training. We\u2019ll be running 10 laps at 9am for a limited number of people.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt 10.30am we\u2019ll run a number of laps for limited people in the Community Fun Paddle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Misson said the coronavirus pandemic saw an increase in people wanting to paddle and the club has adapted to restrictions, with the help of Paddling Victoria\u2019s COVID safe plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got people that want to paddle, that are trying to cope with the situation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a huge increase in people that want to paddle, we\u2019ve got our instructors and coaches qualified, we\u2019ve got people trained as COVID marshals, first aid officers. We\u2019re trying to cater for the demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very easy to maintain the safe social distance, you\u2019re well separated. It\u2019s probably the safest sport really.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re having people that can\u2019t play netball, can\u2019t play football, coming back to paddling. We\u2019ve worked really hard to try support our members.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Misson said the club supports new members through initiatives such as their schools, junior and active women programs, and the club aims to support individual paddlers to become independent paddlers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of little urban lakes here in Bendigo so instead of everyone coming to the lake we\u2019ve given people boats to take home so they can go paddle at Crusoe Res, Kenny Res or Lake Neangar,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BENDIGO Canoe Club\u2019s annual cup event is back, however for the second year in a row will not run as normal. Secretary Tony Misson said the club has worked hard to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, ahead of their annual Bendigo Cup on Sunday, 17 October. Normally the cup would take place on the Loddon River […]<\/p>\n