RAISING funds for Royal Flying Doctor Service Community Transport, Mary Beedle and Michelle Mclachlan recently participated in the Massive Murray Paddle.<\/p>\n
The annual MMP is a five-day event where participants kayak more than 400 kilometres along the Murray River.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt 7am on the starting day, our team of nine women aged between 14 and 60, from all walks of life, began our journey at the edge of the river at Yarrawonga,\u201d said Ms Beedle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were part of the Chicks with Attitude team with the other seven members coming from Bendigo, Adelaide, Murchison and Yarrawonga.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the next five days we paddled through sunshine, wind, hail and thunderstorms, finishing in Gunbower.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team raised almost $2500 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service Transport Team.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some of us it was our first time participating in this event while for others it was their sixth effort,\u201d said Ms Beedle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were tears as well as laughter, blisters and aches but everyone went home with a sense of great satisfaction for a job well done.<\/p>\n
\u201cWill we do it again next year? Most likely, yes!\u201d<\/p>\n
This year was the 54th running of the Massive Murray Paddle which has raised more than $1 million for community causes since 2016.<\/p>\n
Race director Shannon O\u2019Brien from Sydney Harbour Kayaks who manage the paddle with help from a number of private and government sponsors, said this year\u2019s event was successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had 250 participants which is down on pre-COVID and pre-flood numbers of up to 600 but we are pleased with the money raised,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been some challenges over the past few years but we hope we are entering a new cycle and have already had emails from overseas expressing interest in the 2024 MMP.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe event is also awesome for promoting tourism and showcasing what a great place the Murray is as one of the world\u2019s longest navigational rivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MMP is an extraordinary catalyst for doing good.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RAISING funds for Royal Flying Doctor Service Community Transport, Mary Beedle and Michelle Mclachlan recently participated in the Massive Murray Paddle. The annual MMP is a five-day event where participants kayak more than 400 kilometres along the Murray River. \u201cAt 7am on the starting day, our team of nine women aged between 14 and 60, […]<\/p>\n