Bendigo Canoe Club member Ashlee Ilott was more than impressed with her results from the Adelaide Canoe Sprint Grand Prix 1 held at West Lakes.
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Ilott participated in multiple events at the annual race meet and can now add several first place finishes to her long list of accomplishments achieved in the short time competing on the water.
In the under-16 K2 sprints Ilott partnered with South Australian local Demi Bates to finish first in the 200m (0:47.27) and 500m (2:01.70) sprints and second in the 1000m (4:22.80).
“It was really interesting teaming up with Demi, we had never paddled together and we just seemed to click,” Ilott said.
The duo then teamed up with Hanako Greuter and Isabelle Rupenovic for the K4 500m finishing with a time of 1:55.10 to secure first position by a small margin of 0.7 seconds.
“It was a very close race and we really had to push to get the win,” Ilott said.
Ilott also competed in the solo K1 events and finished fifth in the 200m (0:50.76) and sixth in the 500m (2:15.30).
“I was a lot happier with my K1 results than I thought I would’ve been, my times compared to previous were not too bad,” Ilott said.
One of the biggest challenges for Ilott was managing a minor knee and shoulder injury sustained earlier in the year. However, it has not impacted her determination to always do her best when she competes.
Preparations will now start for her next event at a white water canoe event on Tasmania’s Mersey River in January.
“I will be doing more training and doing as much as I can that’s available for me in the lead-up to the event,” Ilott said.
Ilott’s favourite element of paddle sports is the “rush” she receives when she is out on the water.
“With white water it’s more intense and I get an adrenaline rush with all the are waves coming up at me,” Ilott said.
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