Louise Greenwood, an avid kayaker, can be seen on the water at Thompsons Beach most afternoons and on Saturday morning each week, even in the middle of winter.
She shares the love of paddling with her daughter, Emma, and son, Jack, who both compete in canoe sprint and marathon events at state and national level.
As the secretary of the Cobram Barooga Canoe Club, based at Thompsons Beach, Louise encourages new and experienced paddlers to develop their skills and share her love of the sport, and the river.
Beyond Cobram, Louise is involved in both sprint and marathon disciplines at state and national levels.
She is treasurer of the Paddle Victoria Sprint Committee, a member of the Paddle Victoria Marathon Committee, a state marathon official and a national sprint official.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Louise was also Paddle Victoria’s Volunteer of the Year in 2023.
These positions have enabled her to become involved in the sport both as a paddler and in an official capacity.
In August, Louise, along with two other national sprint officials from Australia, will be heading to the 2024 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The trip will involve training as a canoe sprint international technical official, in order to be qualified to officiate at major international canoe sprint events, including the Olympics and Paralympics.
The world championships in Samarkand will feature non-Olympic races and takes place two-weeks after the staging of the canoe sprint at the Olympics in Paris.
Louise has been working at state and national events over the past few years and officiated at her first international event in Canberra in May.
“Paddling is a friendly and inclusive sport, with exciting opportunities both on and off the water,” she said.
“I am very excited to be offered this amazing opportunity and grateful for the support and encouragement I have received from the other volunteer officials over the past few years.”
As a part of the ITO course, Louise and the other Australian women will complete exams before heading off.
They will then shadow officials as well as undergoing assessments and interviews before, and during, the three-day event.