SIX Members of the Port Douglas Outrigger Canoe Club will represent Australia at the Biannual World Sprint Championship next week on the Sunshine Coast.

Kevin and Danielle Bellero, Lili Jensen, Vernon Carpenter and Mike Shuck are all part of Australia’s Far North Queensland team after impressive trials in 2015 and blitzing the lead-up qualifying event earlier this year.

The team completed preparations for the championships with Intensive training in Cairns and monthly training camps at Lake Tinaroo.

With the rest of their respective crews coming from the two Cairns clubs Hekili and Cairns Beaches, training sessions were also held in both locations.

“This is the first time for the five of us to be involved in a campaign like this,” Danielle Bellero said.

”It is very exciting and we have learned so much as paddlers over the last 12 month. Experience we now will pass on to the rest of our club.”

The crews will be racing over 500, 1000 and 1500 meters in six-man canoes (OC6), along with a 500m event in a 12-man (OC12).

Official warm up for the event begins tomorrow with the first race this Sunday. The competition will conclude on Sunday 15 May.

The group will also be joined by Port Douglas club member Ingrid Juchem who, for the second time, will be representing Germany in a V1 ( single Outrigger Canoe with out a rudder).

Former club members and Port Douglas residents Bill and Cecily Ridderhof are also part of the Australian team racing for Team Noosa.