Connecting to new lakeside adventures for Christmas

Shepparton Canoe Club member Julie Keillor was there to offer a steadying hand as young people with disabilities stepped gingerly into a wobbly canoe at the water’s edge.

For many, it was the first time they had stepped so far outside their comfort zone.

“This is a real chance to teach basic canoe skills and achieve success quickly,” Mrs Keillor said.

She said she wanted to see more “bums in boats”.

“This is my passion. I want to see people enjoying themselves on the water,” she said.

Sitting at the bow of a six-seater, canoe club president Les Goudie said it was a great day for canoeing.

“Everyone is having fun and doing things they don’t normally do — getting out of their comfort zone,” he said.

ConnectGV chief executive Carolynne Frost said it had been a big year of change for the not-for-profit disability care provider.

In July, the 67-year-old organisation moved into its new $5 million facility in Bowenhall St, Shepparton.

Ms Frost said the move had been a game-changer.

“It’s become our hub, and somewhere we can all come together at the end of each day,” she said.

“We’ve been on hold this year because of the pandemic and we’ve worked remotely.

“But we can now reset for 2022 and we’re excited to have people back face-to-face.”

As Mrs Keillor watched staff operate a mechanical lift to gently lower ConnectGV client Nelly Ryan into the narrow seat of a six-person outrigger, she turned and pointed passionately at the canoe and its new passenger.

“That’s exactly what I want — that’s what I’m talking about,” Mrs Keillor said.

The faintest of smiles spread across Ms Ryan’s face as she perched in her seat.

Shepparton Canoe Club offers free canoeing sessions from its clubhouse at the southern end of Victoria Park Lake on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4.30pm during summer.