Family paddles together

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
IT was a family affair for a team of paddlers from Launching Place who took part in this summer’s Red Cross Murray Marathon, which ended a day early due to extreme weather conditions.
The race started at Yarrawonga on Boxing Day, and usually covers more than 400 kilometres in five days, finishing at Swan Hill.
Organisers had already changed the route of the course because of flooding in the Murray River, but it is thought to be the first time in the event’s 42-year history that the race has been cut short.
Event chairman Scott Chapman had to address about 300 paddlers in Swan Hill to tell them of the decision to make the last day a “non-paddling day” as it was declared an extreme fire danger day.
There were more than 780 entrants and first-timer Janita Ganson took part in the five-day race with her three sons and her brother’s family.
She said the Murray Marathon had been on her “bucket list” since she watched her brothers take part more than 20 years ago.
“I land crewed for them and I had so much fun river-hopping to meet them and encourage them and so I wanted my kids to have that experience,” she said.
Ms Ganson said she had a great time at her first race.
“We kayaked 20 kilometres a day; it was quite pleasant on the river,” she said.
“We were there for participation, not for winning, but we did alright.”
Ms Ganson said the family trained at Lillydale Lake twice a week to prepare for the event, and now have a few more family members interested in taking part next year.
“I practically had to drag Brendan kicking and screaming but now he wants to do it again,” she said of her 16-year-old son.
“I was impressed by the way the kids hung out and took up the challenge.”
Ms Ganson said they were disappointed when race officials called off the last day but the team will get together at Lillydale Lake in the next few weeks to have their own “ending”.
“I had a blast, it was tiring but it was good healthy fun,” she said.