Sport

East Greenmount Pilates instructor, Karen Bischof has displayed the benefits of pilates exercise with two wins in the gruelling Gold Coast Spartan competition in the Super and Sprint obstacle races. Spartan obstacle races are a test of endurance and strength fitness with the Super event incorporating 25 obstacles in a 10km run while the Sprint race is over 6.5 km with 20 obstacles.

These plantings are held each autumn and assist in bushfire recovery, bank stabilisation and improved water quality for us all. This year, the collective action in the Upper Murray by volunteers from around the state has led to the planting of 3,200 trees along the Nariel and Thowgla Creeks over four days.

The Grafton Rowing Club was proud to host Rowfest, a celebration of the history, skills, sportsmanship, and aesthetics of building and rowing wooden boats last month ... Rowfest is one way to help preserve the knowledge, skills, and history of wooden shells.

Kadina Motocross Club welcomed more than 100 riders for the first time in over six months. Renovations during that time have included clubroom upgrades, a raised viewing area and track developments.

On the inaugural celebration of Maddi’s Round – a North Central Netball Association initiative, raising awareness and showing support for those currently fighting their own battle with cancer and named in memory of Maddi Fitzpatrick, Charlton’s young gun netballer, who lost her own battle earlier this year – the three codes, football, hockey and netball came together at four venues across the North Central Region united as one to ensure NO ONE FIGHTS ALONE.

Jenny Pollard. A lifetime of table tennis service to the Victorian Table Tennis Country Championships saw Charlton’s Bill Freeman recognised with two significant awards ... Showing stellar dedication, Bill has attended every TTVCC event since 1966 – either at the tables as a participant, or in combination with his role as a committee member – a position which he has held for 40 years.

There was strong interest for an AFL session to be conducted in Donald for people of all abilities. Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly (Horsham) currently conducts the Whippets (AFL) program, so Rhonda Allan of the Mallee Sports Assembly (Wycheproof) contacted Wimmera Assembly to facilitate a proposed Come ’N’ Try session.

With an unusually late start due to Wycheproof-Narraport having no under-17s, the teams were bolstered by some of the girls who have been playing in the girls competition and an exciting, albeit low-scoring game ensued.

One of Naracoorte’s champion athletes, Jessica Stenson, nee Trengrove, is off to Paris to represent the country’s women’s marathon team in the 2024 Olympic Games next month. Born and bred in the small town of Naracoorte, South Australia, Jessica, a medal-winning marathon runner, was selected by Athletics Australia for the team after weeks of controversy and recriminations.

Kerry Cain. The Newstead Racecourse Recreation Reserve covers approximately 80 acres and is owned by the State Government. The NRRR has a volunteer committee that manages, maintains, and enhances the land ... The NRRR now has a park section used as a camping area.

Beau Vernon’s connection with the Buloke Shire area is through his marriage to Lucy Bourke, daughter of Carron and Mary Bourke ... Beau’s sporting achievements continue as he is at present a member of the Australian Wheelchair Rugby team, the Steelers, that are world champions ...

A talented young swimmer who had her first lessons in Corryong as a baby, has fallen short in her first attempt at securing a berth in the Australian team for the Paris 2024 Olympics... Molly Walker started swimming lessons at six months of age at the Corryong pool and then joined the Corryong Crocs swim club at around six years old ... Molly will make another bid to make the Olympic team ...

Serena Kirby. This year’s senior citizen of the year, Louise Swan, has put her love of horses to good use since retiring and moving to Denmark nearly a decade ago. Louise said horses had been her passion since she was five years old and when she discovered there was a local HorsePower centre, she wasted no time in volunteering to help.

West Wimmera Shire Council is pleased to announce the official opening of three significant community projects, marked by a visit from Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora. The openings were celebrated over two days, highlighting the completion of new recreation- al facilities that were all jointly funded by the State Government, Council and community groups.

Three littermates were amongst the 32 greyhounds who jumped from the boxes at the Grafton Greyhound Racing Club during the running of the last regional heats of the Thunderbolt series on June 9 with brothers Hit The Switch and Cash On Delivery scoring tenacious wins over 350m in Heat 1 and Heat 2 respectively to qualify for the semi-finals this weekend.

The Barmera Sheep Dog Trials concluded on Sunday, with “particularly good crowds” over the weekend. Around 40 dogs competed over the five days, with 440 sheep coming from around the Riverland ... Highlights over the five days included the iconic ‘Running of the Sheep’ event down Barwell Avenue

Marathon paddlers from around the nation converged on the Murray River last weekend for South Australia’s premier long-distance event, the Riverland Paddling Marathon (RPM). Run by the Marathon Canoe over the June long weekend each year, the RPM has become a staple of the marathon calendar since its inception in 1988.

Birchip-Watchem’s girls’ football season has concluded for 2024, with the club hosting the Central Victoria Football League (CVFL) finals at George Cartwright Oval last Friday night. The season ran for six weeks, with a Sunday morning fixture at Woorinen followed by Friday night games at Tyntynder, Swan Hill (twice), Kerang and Birchip.

Mt. Wycheproof and its enthusiastic community is set to welcome one of the most recognised sporting trophies in the world on Friday, August 30, 2024. The community was recently announced as a host destination for the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour.

Kerang Soccer Club (KSC) held its inaugural Inter-School Soccer Championship at Atkinson Park, Kerang on Sunday, June 2. Koondrook Primary School took the honours, defeating a competitive Kerang South A side 1-0 in the grand final.

It is official – Scott Foreman is a legend. A legend in the ironman world. Scott was awarded 20-year legend status at the annual Ironman Australia event held in Port Macquarie on May 5, and he’s pretty stoked about it.

The annual Combined Wilcannia Cross Country Run was held last Friday. All students did their best and many exceeded their own best times from 2023. Well done to Jarren who saw a friend in need and gave Todd a piggyback for the final leg of the race.