Jana Pittman, former 400 metre Hurdle World Champion turned bobsleigh pusher, joined the local Port Douglas Outrigger Canoe Club for a rather different kind of training session last week.

Heavy rain and strong winds forced the paddlers to rethink their training session, and came up with another plan to get Jana into their Outrigger Canoe.

“We just loaded one of the canoes on to a trailer and drove it as far as we could, then we off loaded it and pushed it along Wharf Street and into the beer garden of one of our long term sponsors, The Courthouse Hotel,” President Ingrid Juchem said.

“When Jana kindly said she would love to meet with us and share training tips and to come for a paddle, we were not going to let an afternoon of crazy weather put us off.”

The hotel's manager, Blain Hayward, was excited to see the crew arrive, literally on their doorstep, with Jana aboard the canoe.

“I think the patrons in the beer garden got a big surprise to see the blue Courthouse logoed canoe come rolling in for a visit, and the Outrigger crew put Jana through a bit of a practise session while she sat up in the canoe,” Blain said.

The Club's PR Officer Liz Ryan said, “The venue made for a great photo shoot and we still could give Jana a land-based session on how to paddle an outrigger, all the while entertaining everyone in the hotel and local restaurants nearby.

“We are trying to raise at least $22,000 to purchase at least one new light-weight canoe for the 2014 season. Right now we are already handicapped before we even start our races because our current canoes are out dated and are approximately 80kg heavier then the ones of our competitors.“



Club Coach Monique Johnston said the Club and the Australian sporting champion shared something in common.

“We just invited her to come for a paddle with us, while she was in town. I guess we are sitting in the same boat so to speak as we are both trying to raise funds for new modern equipment to  
compete in.”

Pittman and her Bobsleigh team the 'ICEBIRDS' are also trying to raise enough money for her pilot Astrid and her to get a new state of the art bobsleigh. “Nothing another $50,000 can’t fix,” Jana told us.

If anyone in the community would like to help the Outrigger Club in their quest for a brand new lightweight canoe, your support by way of monetary donation or goods and services that can be used in their many fundraising activities would be appreciated.

If you are in a position to help them, no matter how small, please call Ingrid Juchem on 0429 843 377 or Liz Ryan on 0414 362 346.

The Outriggers extend an invitation to anyone interested in trying out paddling to come down any Monday afternoon at about 5pm, and join in a ‘come and try’ afternoon paddle. They meet at the Outrigger pavilion in Spinnaker Close outside the Yacht Club.