THE Fiji Outrigger V6 Team Fiji Masters Women are counting down the days when they will participate in the Tahiti 27km World Distance Marathon Competition.
Team spokesperson Sydel Whippy said the team had been training for the past weeks for the tournament.
“Team Fiji Master Women were out on the water early Saturday morning counting down the days to the upcoming first ever World Distance Marathon Competition which will be held in Taaone Bay, Tahiti on Tuesday June 27,” Whippy said.
“The team has been training hard since December 2016 and aims to come up against the top five countries like Tahiti, Australia, Brazil, Great Britain, NZ, Singapore, Pacific North West, Hawaii, California and Canada.
“Preparation has been tough but we are a determined bunch of middle-aged women who are on a mission to do Fiji proud.
“The competition will be a race over 27kms in brand new ocean racing six-man canoes weighing only 120kg compared with the canoes we use when training here in Fiji that weighs nearly 180kg,” Whippy said.
The team managed to collect some cash during a paddle-a-thon and have also received financial and in kind support from Fiji Outrigger, Pacific Island Art, Leleuvia Island Resort, Coca-Cola, Takia and KaiWai Canoe clubs to support their preparation.
The team is made up Joanne Reiher, Leeanne Lee, Tina Patterson, Mere Sigabalavu Schuster, Selita Koroi, Salome Tabuatalei, Sydel Whippy, Sera Talouli, Elise Huffer, Bronwyn Wiseman, Katerina Malo, Lua Wyley.
They participated in the South Pacific Games (SPG) held in Tahiti in 1995 where outrigger canoeing was first introduced into the games.
The Fiji outrigger canoe team won three bronze medals in 1995 and two of the medalists, 22 years later, are vying for a seat in the Team Fiji Master Women V6 canoe to compete again in Tahiti.
