Meet the Coaches
Reece Baker
Reece Baker is the head coach of Paddle Collective and one of WA's most accomplished ocean paddlers. He is the current WA Open Single Ski Champion and Open WA IOP Ocean Racing Series Champion, with a competitive career built on years of elite sprint kayaking that gives him a depth of technical knowledge few coaches can offer.
An Australian Representative Kayaker, Reece is a five-time Open National Aussies Champion and National Ocean Racing Series winner, and was inducted into the Surf Life Saving WA Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport. He developed his paddling craft at Trigg Island, WA's premier surf ski club, before dedicating over 15 years volunteer coaching and mentoring paddlers of all levels across Western Australia.
Whether you are picking up a paddle for the first time or chasing a faster race time, Reece's coaching is grounded in real competitive experience and a genuine love for the ocean. He will help you build the skills and confidence to get the most out of WA's incredible paddling conditions.
Selma Alibegovic
Selma first picked up a paddle at Point Leo, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. She credits her development to Reece Baker at Trigg Island SLSC and Ramon Anderson at WAIS, and now races for Sorrento SLSC as the only open female in the club's 68-year history to medal in surfski at national championships.
Selma is passionate about building environments where athletes exceed their potential. As coach of Bayswater Paddlesports Club, she led athletes to 19 national team selections in just 2 seasons.
What drives her most is developing young and beginner paddlers and breaking down barriers that keep people, especially women, out of the sport. Generous and genuinely invested, she creates sessions that build technical skill, endurance, and confidence through progressive, controlled exposure to a range of conditions.
Jeremy Doney
Jeremy Doney has spent the best part of three decades in the surf along Perth's northern beaches, cutting his teeth at City Beach, sharpening his craft at North Cottesloe, and recently racing out of Scarboro, three of WA's most competitive ironman and ski clubs. And he's still got it, finishing 4th in the Single Ski at the 2025 WA State Surf Life Saving Championships.
That eye is what makes him such a valuable coach. Few people read this stretch of coast, the same water the Doctor blows down from Rottnest to Sorrento, better than Jeremy. He's paddled it in every mood and every wind for most of his life, and he coaches from that hard-won local knowledge, how to find the runs, when to sit and wait, where the chop turns to gold.
But ask anyone who's paddled alongside him and results won't be the first thing they mention, it'll be the bloke. Generous with his time, endlessly patient whether he's coaching a first-timer or an elite paddler. Jeremy is exactly what a coach should be: a genuine waterman who coaches because he loves watching other people fall for the ocean the way he did.
Brendan Rice
Brendan Rice is one of the most complete ocean racers on the west coast. An Australian Representative Paddler in both marathon and ocean racing, he most recently pulled on the green and gold at the 2025 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships, and has spent more than a decade at the sharp end of WA’s biggest races, from the Doctor to the West Coast Downwinder, lining up against the best paddlers in the world when they come to Perth each summer. Paddling runs in the family. Brendan grew up around the sport through his father, a former South African international paddler, and that pedigree shows in the range of his craft: equally at home grinding out a flatwater marathon, threading a river race like the Avon Descent, or hunting runs in a howling southerly. It is a rare combination of engine, technique and ocean sense, and it gives him a coaching toolkit that covers every discipline a WA paddler will ever face. For all the results, he is the paddler who waits at the back of the pack to talk a newcomer through their first downwind, then races the same course flat out the next weekend. Relaxed, approachable and endlessly encouraging, Brendan coaches because he genuinely loves seeing other people find their speed and their confidence in the ocean
Mission
Find your people, fuel your passion
Our mission is to ignite the passion for paddling through transformative experiences. We aim to showcase the joy, resilience, and personal triumphs of individuals, ensuring their stories are told with authenticity and impact. By creating unforgettable moments on the water, we inspire and connect paddlers through the power of collective adventure.
We are committed to excellence in every journey we embark on. We focus on personal growth and fostering a supportive community, we go beyond the basics to the heart and soul of paddling. Through our programs, we celebrate the beauty of the open water, the fulfilment of personal achievement and the resilience of individuals who embrace the paddling lifestyle.