Six people of mixed gender, varied physical strength and polar personalities, gliding seamlessly together as one on a shared mission.

For Katrina Sullivan of the Mooloolaba Outrigger Canoe Club, this is the beauty of outrigging.

And for many business owners on the Coast, entering a team into the Corporate Outrigger Challenge in the annual Wishlist Row for Cancer is the ultimate team-bonding opportunity.

Katrina, who acted as secretary for the Mooloolaba Outrigger Canoe Club for many years, said her club has been involved in the Wishlist Row for Cancer since the event began in 2006, and for the last nine years the club has provided the outrigger canoes used by corporate teams in the challenge along with training sessions and a steerer on the day.

“Everyone knows someone who has been touched by cancer, and our large core of dedicated members are really happy to help out with this event dedicated to helping local cancer patients on the Coast,” Katrina says.

The ninth annual Wishlist Row for Cancer is on Saturday, September 6 featuring an all-day program of kayaks, skis, surfboats, stand-up paddle boards and Dragon Boats racing on the Maroochy River along with the day’s most popular event – the Corporate Outrigger Challenge.

“Over the years we’ve had a number of people join our club after participating in this event, because even though they’ve never tried outrigging before they have an absolute ball on the day,” Katrina said. “It’s also really fun for club members to teach new people how to paddle, it brings back the joy and they remember what it was like learning to do something new.”

“If paddlers in a six person outrigger canoe don't work together as one, they will quickly find themselves going nowhere, fast. It doesn’t work if you have six people all paddling hard and the stronger guys muscling it as fast as they can. Blending together is key and communication is crucial, but when it all comes together, the boat simply hums – it feels effortless.”

And as Katrina points out, this level of teamwork is exactly what everyone hopes for in their business.

Lisa Wilson, Coordinator of the 2014 Wishlist Row for Cancer, said there are 24 teams already signed up to participate in the Corporate Outrigger Challenge and space for up to 10 more. “The Corporate Outrigger event is the highlight of the day, and every team that gets involved gets so much out of it. It really is a one-of-a-kind experience to share with colleagues and a bit of fun out on the water, and we would love to see new teams participating this year.

“This event could not happen without the support of Katrina and the Mooloolaba Outrigger Club and we are so grateful for their continued support.”