JO BRIGDEN-JONES
Olympian. Paramedic. Baker.
Olympic
kayaker
Jo raced at the London 2012 Olympic Games and the posponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Jo and her K4 500m qualified for the final in Tokyo and placed 7th.
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Jo is one of Australia's top paddlers and has been for nearly two decades.Jo has raced for Australia every year since 2004, making it 18 years of national representation. Jo has won a World Championship medal, multiple World Cup medals and has the Australian National Champion 42 times.
Jo wanted to be a paramedic since she was 10 years old as she fascinated by ambulances zooming by. Jo followed her medical interests and completed a nursing degree after she finished school. She then studied paramedics through a post graduate while she competed all over the world.
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Jo commenced work in her dream job as a paramedic with NSW Ambulance in 2016. Jo returned to full time work when the coronavirus pandemic hit Australia and the world and the Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021.
Jo's passion for sweets and cakes had all her friends and family talking and requesting her to bake all sorts of cakes for their special occasion. Her side hustle was turned into a small business when the demand for her cakes increased post the COVID lockdown.
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Elite Cake Co. was created and Jo continues to make cakes for her customers and sells baking products to support her business.
Sport – Sprint kayak
Events – K4 500m, K2 500m, K1 500m
Coach – Rene Olsen, Jake Michael
Born – 19 April 1988
Hometown – Narrabeen, Northern Beaches, Sydney
Education – Post Graduate in Paramedics & Bachelor of Nursing
Profession – Paramedic, Registered Nurse, athlete and baker
Nickname – JBJ, Joey, Brigga, Jo Jo
Club – Sydney Northern beaches Kayak Club
Training location – Narrabeen, NSW (home base), Gold Coast, QLD (interstate base), Varese, Italy (international base)
Institute – New South Wales Institute of Sport
Career highlights – Racing at the London and Tokyo Olympics, winning a World Championships medal, 18 years as a National Team Member
Challenges – 2 shoulder reconstructions (2010 & 2013), missing 2 Olympic Games by 1 place (2008 & 2016)
