REDLANDS paddler Matthew Ingerman has returned from the 2026 International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint Masters World Championships in Canada with two world championship medals after representing Australia against the world’s best masters’ athletes, including some former Olympians.
Competing in Halifax Nova Scotia, Mr Ingerman claimed a silver medal in the K4 500-metre event and a bronze medal in the K2 200-metre race, adding two podium finishes to Australia’s medal tally at the prestigious international regatta.
His selection as one of only three Australian athletes to compete at the championships reflected years of dedication to the sport, both as an elite international competitor and coach.
Away from international competition, Mr Ingerman is well known as a Redland City Council employee and a life member and coach at the Wynnum Redlands Canoe Club, where he has spent more than 25 years helping develop the next generation of aspiring paddlers.
His contribution extends well beyond racing.
Paddle Queensland recently recognised his leadership as assistant coach of the Queensland state team at the 2026 Paddle Australia Canoe Sprint National Championships in Perth. Mr Ingerman’s success comes as the Wynnum Redlands Canoe Club continues to produce outstanding results across multiple age groups.
The club’s junior paddlers recently dominated the June 2026 Schools Marathon, with Hayden, Hannah and Taylah each claiming first-place finishes in K1 and K2 events over six kilometres.
That momentum continued at the June 2026 State Marathon, where Hannah and Phoebe finished as Queensland’s top under-16 paddlers in the 12-kilometre K1 and TK1 events, while Hayden won the under-18 title over 15 kilometres.
Every youth competitor representing the club returned home with a gold medal.
The club also enjoyed success in the masters ranks, with new coach Joel Kenny finishing third in the under-45 division at the State Marathon Championships and Dave Lano claiming a silver medal for Queensland.
While the club has earned a reputation for developing elite paddlers, it has also built a strong legacy of environmental stewardship.
Based on Tingalpa Creek at Thorneside, club volunteers have removed tonnes of rubbish from local waterways through annual Clean Up Australia Day activities and were the driving force behind the War on Wrecks initiative, which has since expanded into a statewide program removing abandoned vessels from waterways across Queensland.
