This March, we’re celebrating women in paddling, from volunteers and officials to those making waves in competition! Across the week we’re profiling seven women whose contribution to paddling has made a difference, be it in the running of events, gender balance on and off the water, building clubs and pushing the boundaries of what is possible on and off the water.
Jo Bridgen-Jones
A stellar ambassador for her sport both on and off the water, canoe sprint paddler Jo Bridgen-Jones has competed at the very top for more than a decade. She represented Australia at the London and Tokyo Olympics along with multiple World Cup and World Championships, and made the Open National Sprint Team every year from 2009 to 2021. Balancing paddling with careers as a nurse and more recently as a paramedic, Jo retired from paddling in 2021 following the Tokyo Olympics.
Check out this fab article celebrating Jo’s career from Sydney Northern Beaches Kayak Club coach Christine Duff
For a list of Jo’s international paddling achievements, this Paddle Australia bio is great
We love that Jo used the COVID lockdown to turn her passion for baking cakes into a small business!