Four members of the Flamin' Dragons Port Macquarie team, Liz Harrison, Tony Harrison, Michael Baumann, and Brunt Harris, recently showcased their paddling prowess at the Australian Championships in Perth, representing NSW Northern Region.
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Their coach, Jenny Higgins, who is also a Flamin' Dragons member, led the Northern Region squad at the prestigious event.
The Northern Region squad, comprising 24 paddlers, two drummers, and two sweeps from the North Coast region from Taree up to Ballina, competed fiercely in various categories against crews from Queensland, Victoria, and other NSW regional teams.
After undergoing trials for selection in January, the successful paddlers embarked on their campaign, culminating in State v State racing on Friday, 19th April in Perth.
The mixed 20s crew, consisting of 10 men and 10 women, competed in a 10s boat format, with each gender having their own boat.
Despite stiff competition, the mixed crew clinched a hard-fought bronze medal after the best of three accumulative times over three heats.
The Open 10s team delivered their best performance to date, earning a silver medal after two closely contested races.
The Women's 10s faced initial challenges but showed great resilience, ultimately securing a bronze medal after battling back into third place in their second heat.
Higgins commended the crews for their exceptional efforts.
"The crews raced extremely hard all day and were worthy recipients of their three medals," she said.