Ellie Johnson nailed her balancing act of kayaking the flat Hopkins River and paddling through Lady Bay’s waves on a surf ski.
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Johnson, who recently returned from the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships in Perth, now has to ditch the ski and jump into the kayak to prepare herself for the Australian Kayaking Championships in Adelaide.
The Warrnambool Kayak Club and Warrnambool Surf Lifesaving Club member’s program is a balance of regular training, healthy eating and getting a good night’s sleep.
“I train at (Rudy Ryan’s) gym, I then train on the flat water about two times a week and I train three times a week on board and ski and then out of the surf season I swim those three nights,” she said.
Johnson, ninth in the under 17 ski, was one of four WSLSC members who made individual finals at the national titles in Perth. Matt Hardiman (under 19 board, fifth), Paddy O'Brien (under 17 board, eighth) and Sophie Thomas (open swim, 12th) impressed. Four relay teams made finals, under 17 female ski (Emma Ragg, Hannah Owen and Johnson), under 17 board (Harry McNamara, Brayden Casamento and O'Brien), under 19 board (Paddy Carr, Hardiman, Casamento) and female open board (Jane McMeel, Ragg, Thomas).