Emma powers across the finish line in the Ben Ward 40 Miler race.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
There is no challenge too great for Cobram’s own Emma Corrin.
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At just 15, Emma was the first — and youngest — female competitor to win the Ben Ward 40 Miler Junior full distance race last month.
For the previous three years, she’d raced in the Ben Ward Junior event — and, perhaps in a sign of things to come, clinched wins in all three 20km events.
It was her first time competing in the full 64km race.
The Ben Ward 40 Miler is a gruelling 64km kayak race from Yarrawonga to Cobram, named in memory of the late Ben Ward, who passed away tragically in October 1998 while finishing a sprint at Nagambie.
Speaking after her first-place finish last month, a modest Emma said all she wanted was to finish the full race.
“I didn’t care about the time or whether I’d win, lose or draw,” she said.
Friends and kayaking rivals Sophie Hughes, Kayla Whinray and Emma Corrin at Thompson’s Beach last month.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
Emma was nonetheless happy she achieved a long-term goal.
“I’ve been wanting to do it since I was like, 12, so I’m pretty happy,” she said.
But it wasn’t always a walk in the park, Emma admitted.
“When I saw the watch said 10km to go, I thought, ‘okay, this is a long 10 K’,” she said.
“That last 10 K felt more like 20.
“But the rest of it felt pretty good.”
Emma raced against her close friend Sophie Hughes.
“I think she would have been my biggest competition,” Emma said.
Emma dreams of making the Asia Pacific Cup 1000m sprint. To do so, she must beat a time of four minutes and 26.52 seconds, the target time required by Paddle Australia.
“So it means, if I make it, then I’ll race in Japan,” she said.
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