Gold Coast Olympic kayaker turns to adventure racing

MEDIA RELEASE 28 May 2007

Gold Coast Olympic kayaker turns to adventure racing
Gold Coast resident and star kayaker Amanda Rankin has hung up her paddle to try her hand at a whole new quest - adventure racing and retailing.

Amanda participated in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where she was semi-finalist in the single kayaking event and finished in sixth place in the LK4 500m (four-person kayak).

After competing for 10 years, she decided to retire from competitive kayaking and turned to a different job and passion that would provide her with a whole new challenge.

In September last year, Amanda started working as sales assistant in the water department of outdoor adventure store Anaconda in Ashmore.

"Anaconda couldn't have come at a better time for me. I was thinking about slowly retiring from my kayaking career and working there has helped me tremendously in this transition. I get to talk about my passion – water sports – everyday with customers and the team is great," Amanda said.

"What's more, Anaconda has opened up the doors to a whole lot of new opportunities by encouraging and supporting me to participate in other activities such as adventure racing," she added.

Amanda will be participating for the first time in the Anaconda Adventure Race held on the Gold Coast on 5 August this year.

"I have come from a sprint event that took under 2 minutes, using only upper body, to adventure racing requiring endurance and the lower body muscles. It is very different and takes me out of my comfort zone – I like it," she said.

"I have to train differently. For example, now I do more endurance running, cycling, mountain biking and I even had to learn how to walk – walking uses different muscles to running and I have to do it with a heavy backpack on," Amanda said.

Amanda is also competing in the ARQ Area 51 Adventure Series, where she competes with two other colleagues from Anaconda in the mixed category.

"I love racing with the boys, we work well as a team. We have won one of these races in the past and are looking forward to our next challenge, the 48-hour Mountain Designs Geo Quest in June," Amanda said.

"I will also be doing the 700km, seven to 10-day XPD race in August with a group of four women - the first all-women team to register to this race. As part of XPD, we won't know the exact course until we are given the maps 24 hours before race start. It's quite an adventure," she added.

Anaconda prides itself on inspiring, equipping and enabling people to get outdoors and experience their own adventure. Anaconda is for all outdoor types from hardcore adrenalin junkies to families on holiday and the whole spectrum of people in-between.

Anaconda can be contacted on 1300 669 137 or by visiting www.anaconda.com.au.

Released for Anaconda by Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (www.drpr.com.au)
For further information please call Kim Larochelle or Nicola Rutzou on (02) 9413 4244.

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