Paddlers gear up for marathon

By Kath Gannaway
A TEAM of paddlers from the Yarra Valley will set off after Christmas to take part in the Red Cross Murray Marathon.
For friends Alex Houghton of Coldstream, James Pretto of Healesville, Matthew Cluff of Warrandyte and Alex’s father Andrew the marathon has become an annual event.
For Matt and Alex, who took part in the race as students at Yarra Valley Anglican School, it is their third Murray Marathon. James and Andrew competed as part of the four-man relay team last year.
Alex’s sisters Grace and Isabel will also be competing as part of this year’s Yarra Valley Anglican School team.
The race, which starts at Yarrawonga on Boxing Day, covers more than 400 kilometres in five days finishing at Swan Hill.
It’s one of the world’s longest annual canoe races and one of the most challenging.
The team which trains at Lilydale Lake has spent the year raising the $1500 entry fee and training at Lilydale Lake in preparation for the race which they have entered as a relay team.
The event is run by the Australian Red Cross with funds raised going to vital community programs and emergency services provided by the organisation.
Each year more than 700 people, 300 volunteers and up to 3000 support crew make their way along the Murray River constructing tent cities as they move from town to town.
For paddlers the experience is one of being challenged, enjoying the camaraderie of taking part in such a mammoth event and providing much-needed funds for the Red Cross.
While the race is fun, the team also takes the challenge seriously.
Alex, James and his mother Sue Pretto recently took part in the Anaconda Challenge, which involved swimming, running, bike riding and paddling.
Matt has worked with Camp America as an instructor in paddling.
Building upper body strength, strong shoulder muscles and abs is the key to the physical challenges of paddling such a long race according to James who also said he enjoys the social side of the sport.
“It’s great to come down here and have a bunch of guys you can train with. It’s not like running where you’re thrashing yourself. With kayaking you can paddle around and have a good conversation at the same time.”
Another team of nine people from Montrose, Wandin East, Mt Evelyn and Lilydale will also compete.
Going under the name Never Look Back, the team of 20-somethings are all first-timers, bar one.
They will be paddling relay in a two-person kayak.
Team member Meg Ferguson said the team thought it would be a fun challenge and has been training on Lillydale Lake for the past six months.
They are looking forward to the race and to meeting up with family and friends at Swan Hill for New Year’s eve.