WALLACE Bernadette

Date of Birth: 8 Aug 1989

Age: 32

Gender: Female

Height (m/ft): 1.86/6'1''

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Canoe Sprint	Women's Canoe Single 200m	21
	Women's Canoe Double 500m AUS Australia	13

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Sea Forest Waterway	Women's Canoe Single 200m Heat 2 #49	Finished
	Sea Forest Waterway	Women's Canoe Single 200m Quarterfinal 1 #65	Finished
	Sea Forest Waterway	Women's Canoe Double 500m Heat 1 #93	Finished
	Sea Forest Waterway	Women's Canoe Double 500m Quarterfinal 1 #104	Finished
	Sea Forest Waterway	Women's Canoe Double 500m Final B #119	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

World Championships

Year	Location	C1 5000m	C2 500m	K1 5000m	K2 200m	K2 500m	K2 1000m	K4 500m	K1 4x200m
2019	Szeged, HUN	6	22	-	-	-	-	-	-
2015	Milan, ITA	-	-	-	-	-	-	11	-
2014	Moscow, RUS	-	-	19	-	-	-	13	-
2013	Duisburg, GER	-	-	-	-	10	-	7	10
2010	Poznan, POL	-	-	4	-	-	-	25	18
2009	Dartmouth, NS, CAN	-	-	-	15	-	11	-	-

Oceania Open Championships

Year	Location	C1 200m	C1 500m	C2 500m
2020	Penrith, NSW, AUS	1	9	1

World Cup overview - Three best ranks per season and event since 2017

Year	C1 200m	C2 500m
2019	1 x 17th, 1 x 21st	1 x 16th, 1 x 23rd

World Cup - Ten best performances since 2017

Rank	Year	Event	Competition	Location	Result
16	2019	Canoe Double 500m	World Cup	Poznan, POL	2:10.958
17	2019	Canoe Single 200m	World Cup	Poznan, POL	51.251
21	2019	Canoe Single 200m	World Cup	Duisburg, GER	49.434
23	2019	Canoe Double 500m	World Cup	Duisburg, GER	2:19.642

Legend
C - Canoe, K - Kayak, DNF - Did Not Finish, DNS - Did Not Start, DSQ - Disqualified

Berni, BT, Big W, Bones, Paddle Monster. (canoe.org.au, 17 Aug 2010; paddle.org.au, 10 Apr 2019)

Occupation:

Athlete, Designer

Graphic Design - Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, AUS

Languages spoken:

Currumbin Creek Paddlers Club [Australia]

Duke Ruzicic [national]

Sporting relatives:

Her older brother Ken Wallace has represented Australia in canoe sprint. He won gold in K1 500m at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and bronze in K2 1000m at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 25 Mar 2020; canoe.org.au, 17 Aug 2010)

She began paddling at age 13 at Currumbin Creek Paddlers Club in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. (berniwallace.com, 26 Jul 2015; canoe.org.au, 17 Aug 2010)

Her older brother Ken competed in canoe sprint and she was inspired to try the sport when he won a junior world championship title. "Seeing the success Ken had really inspired me and I decided to start paddling myself." (canoe.org.au, 17 Aug 2010; olympics.com.au, 29 Mar 2020)

To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (northerndailyleader.com.au, 13 Feb 2020)

Her older brother Ken and her first coach John Newton. (canoe.org.au, 17 Aug 2010; paddle.org.au, 10 Apr 2019)

"I usually always have a drink bottle with me and sunnies on, no matter the conditions. I get nervous going to the start line unprepared if there is a delay." (paddle.org.au, 10 Apr 2019)

General Interest

General
FROM KAYAK TO CANOE
After taking a break from paddling in 2017 and 2018, she switched focus from kayak to canoe events from 2019 onwards, with the goal of being the first Australian female paddler to compete in a canoe event at the Olympic Games. "To be the first Australian woman would be amazing and if you're in the first heat in Tokyo, you'll be one of the first ever women [to compete at the Olympic Games in canoe events]. To be in that canon of athletes would be an honour." The switch to canoe was also motivated by coaching that she was giving in Canada to young girls. "I figured that if I wanted to teach the girls how to canoe, I had to learn how to stay in one myself. The canoe is so technical, so I definitely had more challenges than just becoming fit and strong again, but it was so much fun to learn with these kids and that really helped me to enjoy it. Getting back into elite training took many, many attempts because my body wasn't used to it. I just kept on breaking down and becoming exhausted. I think it took me six attempts to get back into a normal training routine before I could actually make it through an entire week of training." (northerndailyleader.com.au, 13 Feb 2020; southcoastregister.com.au, 13 Feb 2020; olympics.com.au, 29 Mar 2020)

SKIN CANCER RULES OUT RIO
Weeks before the Australian national team selection for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro she was diagnosed with melanoma after a lump on her neck was removed, which meant she was not eligible to compete at the Games. "They took the bump off and it turned out it was a melanoma, and quite a dangerous one with not the nicest survival rate. That was the scare of my life and it still scares me every day. I'm definitely lucky it didn't metastasise and spread. That wiped out my Rio [2016 Olympic] dreams." (northerndailyleader.com.au, 13 Feb 2020; southcoastregister.com.au, 13 Feb 2020)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
Outside of sport she has worked in a variety of roles. "I am a boat designer for Paddle Sports Design, an artist, video editor and support worker for a sports woman I look up to greatly, Rio Paralympian Jocelyn Neumueller." (paddle.org.au, 10 Apr 2019)

Social Media

Legend

:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event

Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos