Golden reward for white water rafters

NZ’s world champion women’s team.

New Zealand's open women's R6 team are back home with gold medals after their triumph at the 2019 Whitewater Rafting World Championships held in Cairns last month.

It was the first women's open world title since 2013 when the world champs were held in Rotorua and Kawerau.

The team of Sarah Uhl, Nikki Kelly, Buba Martin, Kelly Wood, Raanj Rapana, Nikki Whitehead and Marnie Fornusek are mostly Rotorua-based, with just Kelly (Gisborne) and Raanj (Whakatane) from outside the area.

Marnie says hopes were high of doing well in Cairns but they knew how tough the competition would be.

'The top four teams were the Japanese, the Czechs, the Russians and us. In the end Japan came second and the Czechs were third.

'Here in New Zealand it is a small sport but in some countries overseas it is a professional sport. That is all they do, whereas for the New Zealanders we all have jobs. It is just something we enjoy doing.”

With the world class Kaituna River to train on there is no surprise Rotorua is the raft racing hub for New Zealand, with the majority of the New Zealand men's teams also based near the Kaituna.

Marnie says the world class facilities for training play a large part but there is also a special bond between all the various paddlers.

'There is a real community here of kayaks and rafts and we also have the lake there so people might do waka ama paddling. There are a lot of strong paddlers to select teams from. Some might have been white water raft guides before and are into other water sports.

'They have lots of years of experience. Most of our team could actually race Masters as well with an age range from 29 to 50.”

White water rafting is definitely not a sport for the faint-hearted with plenty of mishaps that can happen as you take on the fiery rapids of a white water river.

Marnie says a fundamental important skill is being able to read the white water.

'In the raft you work as a team. In the team of six you can have four people in the corners steering compared to say if you go down on a raft trip when the guide is doing the steering.

'Then it is all about fitness. They are heavy boats and it is not that pleasant paddling them on the flat but it is exciting paddling them on the white water.”

The Rotorua members had to raise the funds to cover the cost of going to Cairns. One of the major events was a fundraising dinner at Toi Ohomai Polytechnic, with a delicious three-course meal in the Kaiwhata Restaurant.

'We want to thank Friedlanders, who have been a supporter over many years, and gear sponsors Moana Road, Bodyline Wetsuits, Chacos and Goodbye,” says Marnie.

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