By Max Davies
Two Whittlesea youngsters are making waves in a sport their town is not best known for – wakeboarding.
Madi and Nate McDonald, aged nine and 12 respectively, have been wakeboarding for only a few years, but finished first and fourth in the Victorian State Titles last month – just one example of both their natural skill and rapid improvement.
Father Cameron said the family had never been the boating type, however when an opportunity presented itself at Moama they were keen to give it a go.
“We’ve never been boat or water people, but the kids said one day that they wanted to try [wakeboarding] out so we found a place in Moama with a boat and gave it a go,” he said.
“After a bit, people came up to us saying ‘do you know how good your kids are? You should try doing competition’ so we looked into it. It’s been such a short amount of time, so seeing their talent is really special.”
Madi last year took part in the Australian National titles in Canberra where she finished second, and the siblings are now part of the Wakeboard Victoria team and compete in seasonal championships within the group.
In addition to their sponsorships with Skin Ski Surf Yarrawonga and Ronix Wakeboards, the family has also been working with successful wakeboarder Chloe Mills to coach both Madi and Nate.
The coaching process has taken the brother and sister duo back to the basics of wakeboarding, helping them to build a strong foundation for their skills and knowledge of the sport, making it easier for them to learn tricks for competition.
Growing up in Whittlesea, Mills said she was proud to have the opportunity to coach the McDonalds and help them reach their goals.
“We have a special bond and work really well as a team. Madi has put in the hard yards this season and it has shown through her results,” she said.
“Growing up in Whittlesea myself and now coaching Madi and Nate is something pretty special. There must be something in the Whittlesea water – pardon the pun.”
Cameron said he and his wife Jess were happy to be involved with wakeboarding and had high hopes for their children’s futures in the sport.
“It’s a very proud thing, it’s sort of an outside sport where you either have it or you don’t,” he said.
“It makes them happy – they love being on water and wakeboarding so if it’s what they love doing then we love it too.
“We hope Madi will go international, and Nate will do well in Australia but there’s a lot more competition for boys his age.”
Madi and Nate are preparing to compete in this year’s national titles in Mildura, starting on March 29.
The family encouraged anyone interested in trying wakeboarding to give it a go, either by joining them on the water or by taking part in a try-out day hosted by Wakeboard Victoria and its community.
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