15 May 2012

Champion professional ironwoman Hayley Bateup will lead this year’s Paddle Out For Whales on Saturday June 23.

The group will take to the water at Enzo’s On The Beach Scarness.

“It’s awesome that someone like Hayley, who trains and competes in the ocean every day, cares about the marine environment and wants to help protect our amazing whales and other sea creatures that inhabit it,” event organiser Vicki Neville says.

Hayley Bateup made history by being the only athlete, male or female, to win the Coolangatta Gold three times. The amazing ironwoman is known for her intense competitive streak, with many suggesting she has the ability and drive to be the best ironwoman this country has produced.

Other titles include Australian Ironwoman Champion 2001, 2005, 2006, (2nd 2004), Australian Board Champion 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, (2nd 2002, 2004), Australian Board Rescue 2009 and Australian Ski Champion 2008.

Hayley also starred in the 2008 series of the hit TV show Gladiators, appearing as Nitro.

“Training in the ocean everyday I often get the pleasure of paddling alongside whales and it certainly makes my day… I can’t imagine a world without whales so anyway I can help I will,” she said.

The day will also include an afternoon full of live music from Sunshine Coast bands The Flumes, The Green Room and Mitch Davis and the Dawn Chorus.

Paddleout For Whales ambassador Bob Irwin will also attend and speak about animal conservation and how important it is to stop whaling and animal cruelty.

To round out the day there will be a twilight screening of the award winning documentary Minds In The Water, a film based on former professional and now free surfer Dave Rastovich’s quest to protect marine environments around the world.

For further info go to www.paddleout4whales.blogspot.com or search for paddle out for whales on Facebook.