Queensland Championships Program 2016

OFFICIAL PROGRAM

Queensland Championships

2016

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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It is the generous involvement of our partners and supporters that enables us to continue to keep our beaches safe.

Surf Life Saving Queensland would like to thank the following organisations for their ongoing support. lifesaving.com.au SUPPORTERS

Surf Life Saving Queensland would like to proudly acknowledge and thank the Queensland Government – Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing for their ongoing support of the delivery and development of surf sports within our association.

Through committed funding support, Surf Life Saving Queensland continues to create sporting opportunities to enhance grassroot participation, talent identification, participation pathways, athlete development, mentoring programs and club engagement through structured statewide programs, activities and events.

Photos by Harvie Allison Photography t. 0417 285 133 | w. harvpix.com.au

Printing proudly donated by IPG Connect

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

WELCOME It is great to be back on the Gold Coast for the 84th Queensland Surf Life Saving Championships. Our host, North Burleigh Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC), has a proud lifesaving and surf sports pedigree and, therefore, a rich history in our Association.

The ocean beach here has always presented challenges for our athletes and these championships will not disappoint. Our State Championships have been held here twice before, in 1985 and 2006.

The 2015/16 season in Queensland has already seen more milestones for our Association.

After the formation of Tweed Heads and Coolangatta in 1909, came Maroochydore (1 January 1916) and Kirra (7 January 1916). These club centenaries have been marked with great celebrations in each of those places. An important feature of these events has been the public recognition of the sustained service to their communities, and of our surf lifesavers. Surf Life Saving is celebrated as much by our beach-going supporters and our communities as much as it is by our members; this is something for us all to be proud of.

Queensland surf sports is in good shape, with our wonderful young athletes scoring the narrowest of victories – just 2 points – over our traditional rivals, New South Wales, at Torquay in Victoria in early January.

Our lifesavers are involved in surf sports for fitness and to be rescue-ready. Surf sports involvement continues to give opportunities for our lifesavers, both young and old, to experience personal development through meeting the challenges of our wonderful sport. Coaches, parents and our surf clubs small and large are to be congratulated for their support. You are all mentors and motivators, thank you.

Best wishes to all for a successful State Championships. Thank you to all volunteers and staff who will contribute to the success of these 84th Queensland Championships at beautiful North Burleigh SLSC.

Ralph Devlin AM QC President, Surf Life Saving Queensland

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As Governor of Queensland and Patron of Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) it is my great pleasure to offer my support to everyone involved in the 2016 Youth and Senior Surf Life Saving Championships – the pinnacle event on SLSQ’s calendar.

I particularly wish the 3,500 competitors, representing a majority of the 58 Queensland clubs from Port Douglas in the north to Rainbow Bay in the south, a successful and rewarding event. May you all compete to the best of your capacities, and in the spirit of determination and perseverance which imbues the wider Surf Life Saving movement.

supporters – involved in organising this most Queensland celebration, this year held at the iconic North Burleigh location. Not only do you provide valuable opportunities for competitors to hone their life surf saving skills, thereby benefiting the public, the event unites the community in a spirit of service and dedication; it is an honour to support this.

His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC Governor of Queensland

I also wish to acknowledge everyone – SLSQ, sponsors, volunteers and

Welcome to the 2016 Queensland Surf Life Saving Championships. These championships are the pinnacle events on SLSQ’s sporting calendar and, this year, will represent the second largest surf sports competition in Queensland behind the Australian Championships.

As a proud, coastal city with in excess of 20 surf life saving clubs spread along 57 kilometres of coastline, the Gold Coast is proud to host this premier sporting event.

The championships will be held across two weekends at North Burleigh and will see over 3,500 athletes aged from under 11 through to over 80 converge on the surf and sand to contest the full suite of competitive surf lifesaving events.

I would like to acknowledge the continued and tireless efforts of Surf Life Saving Queensland as one of the country’s most important community service organisations, promoting and practising

beach safety and rescue. Surf Life Saving Queensland can take pride in knowing that due to their good work, literally thousands of lives have been saved.

To those who are returning to the Gold Coast and those who are visiting for the first time, I trust you will find that the residents of our city are open and willing to share the experiences and enjoyment of our city with you.

I wish everyone taking part in the 2016 Surf Life Saving Queensland Championships a successful, enjoyable and safe event and hope your time on the Gold Coast is one to remember.

Mayor Tom Tate City of Gold Coast

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

LIFESAVERS YOUNG AND OLD It will literally be on for young and old this March when thousands of competitors from all corners of the state flock to North Burleigh across two weekends for the Queensland Youth, Senior and Masters Surf Life Saving Championships.

The pinnacle sporting events on SLSQ’s calendar will see more than 3,500 surf lifesavers aged from under 11 through to over 75 put their fitness, skill and determination to the ultimate test in their quest for state glory.

The competition kicks off on Friday 11 March with the Youth Championships, which will see some of the state’s top youngsters, aged from under 11-15, compete across three days. Defending champion Maroochydore will be hoping to go back-to-back after prevailing last year ahead of Alexandra Headland and Northcliffe.

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The action continues on Friday 18 March with the Masters competition, before Queensland’s premier beach and ocean athletes take centre state at the Senior Championships on 19-20 May, where Northcliffe will be out to extend its unbeaten streak to 12 consecutive years.

The Championships represent the culmination of Queensland’s surf sport season and will bring to a close an exciting summer of racing across the state. For many of the senior competitors, it will also be their last opportunity to build momentum and fine-tune preparations ahead of the Australian Championships on the Sunshine Coast in April.

Last year’s ironman and ironwoman champions Matt Bevilacqua and Rebecca Creedy will be out to defend their titles, while the likes of Shannon Eckstein, Ali Day, Courtney

HEAD TO NORTH BURLEIGH Hancock and Jordan Mercer – all former Queensland champions – will be eager to add more gold to their alreadyimpressive trophy cabinets.

On the sand, Queensland’s fastest lifesavers will put everything on the line in the beach sprints and flags, while the action will be just as fierce in the surf boats.

Surf Life Saving Queensland surf sports manager Stuart Hogben expects some memorable duels across both weekends.

“Importantly, the Championships provide all of our members, regardless of age, with a chance to come together, challenge themselves, and showcase their surf skills on the competitive stage.

“The depth and strength of athletes in Queensland is second to none, which will no doubt make for some exciting racing across both weekends. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether you’re 25-years-old or 75-years-old, you’ll need to be at the very top of your game if you want to take out a state championship,” he said.

“As a state, Queensland is home to some of the fittest and fastest lifesavers in Australia and right across the world for that matter, so there’s no doubt the competition will be fierce,” he said.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

STATE CHAMPS CAP OFF

SUMMER OF SURF I

t’s been a sizzling summer of surf so far, with thousands of lifesavers diving in to compete at various events and championships across the state. This season has already seen the likes of Shannon Eckstein and Jordan Mercer etch their name into the history books with stunning wins in the Nutri-Grain Series, while Queenslanders reigned supreme at the Interstate Championships in Torquay, Victoria. Ali Day and Liz Pluimers continued their winning ways at the gruelling Coolangatta Gold, while lifesavers were put

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to the ultimate test at the Queensland Endurance, Surf Rescue and Board Riding Championships. The action’s been fast, furious and unforgiving with plenty of spills and thrills along the way.

Here, we take a look back at the summer that was, reviewing some of the crucial moments, biggest upsets, and key results thus far from the 2015/16 surf sport season.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Queensland Endurance Championships More than 500 competitors flocked to Tweed Heads and Coolangatta on the Gold Coast late last year to contest Surf Life Saving Queensland’s Endurance Championships. The event saw some of the sport’s top athletes flex their muscles over a series of gruelling long-distance events including surf swims, board paddling and beach runs.

Noosa Heads (237 points) took out the event ahead of Northcliffe (201 points) and Alexandra Headland (198 points).

In the individual events, Jordan Mercer showed her class and demonstrated why she’s widely regarded as the endurance queen of racing, taking out the open female 10km ski and the 4km board paddle, before finishing runner-up in the 4km beach run. Meanwhile, Mermaid Beach’s Luke Cuff also performed strongly to record solid wins in the open male 2km surf swim and 4km beach run, before finishing second in the 4km board paddle.

Coolangatta Gold Ali Day and Liz Pluimers were the toast of the coast after taking out the men’s and women’s divisions of the 2015 Coates Hire Coolangatta Gold on 11 October 2015.

But their preparations were far from ideal, with both athletes forced to dig deeper than ever to even make the starting line of the gruelling 41.8km race.

Day, a two-time winner heading into the race, had to draw on all of his fighting reserves after a gastro bug the night before left him sapped of energy and on the brink of an early withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Pluimers was only cleared to race the iconic event a few days beforehand after overcoming a calf tear.

Summer of Surf Series Broadcast nationally on Fox Sports, the Summer of Surf returned with a bang this year, featuring some of the sport’s biggest names battling off against each other over eight tough rounds. Kicking off in Kurrawa last October, and with a further two legs held in Queensland, the series saw

athletes line up to compete across surf ski, board, swim, Taplin, beach flags and the Surf Ironman Qualifying Series (SIQS).

Jordan Mercer and Jay Furniss prevailed in the SIQS, while Gold Coast’s Northcliffe reigned supreme in the Champion Club Series.

Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman Series In case it was ever in doubt, Shannon Eckstein solidified his reputation as the sport’s greatest ironman with a series of stunning performances over the summer months delivering him a ninth NutriGrain Series crown. Eckstein claimed maximum points in five out of the six rounds to comfortably take the title ahead of fierce rival Ali Day and rising star Matt Bevilacqua.

“In any sport, it’s hard to stay at the top for ten or fifteen years and be consistent week-in, week-out. This is what I do. I don’t do social media and I don’t ‘big talk’ myself, I just love winning races,” Eckstein said after wrapping up the series with a dominant win at North Cronulla Beach in New South Wales.

Meanwhile, in the IronWoman Series, Jordan Mercer continued the winning ways of her famous surname, taking out her first title ahead of series-debutante and Noosa club mate Kirsty Higgison.

In many ways this year’s series signalled a changing of the guard, with Mercer and Higgison dominating their more experienced rivals.

Interstate Championships

sprinter Nicole Kay drove home the advantage, delivering double points in the team’s power-play option. The strong performances saw Queensland take out the youth division with 152 points, while New South Wales trailed on 139.

New South Wales started the open competition strongly, almost bridging the gap, before a standout performance

by BHMP star Tanyn Lyndon steadied the ship with decisive wins in the ironman and board events. It proved the difference in the end, and was enough to deliver the Cyclones a slender two-point win in the competition.

Meanwhile, on Friday 19 February 2016, the nation’s top surf boat crews converged on Shell Harbour in NSW for the Interstate Surf Boat Competition.

In choppy and challenging conditions, Queensland crews battled bravely across the day, recovering from a slow start to put themselves in a strong position leading into the final event, the double point relay. However, it was not to be, with Queensland finishing both the relay and the overall championships in third place.

The respective Cyclones teams will line up compete in the Interstate IRB and Pool Rescue Championships later this year, where they’ll be hoping to help Queensland secure Surf Life Saving’s Alan B Whelpton Perpetual Shield for 2015/16.

Queensland Surf Rescue Championships

A dominant performance from Queensland’s youth catapulted the Cyclones to surf supremacy at the annual Interstate Championships at Torquay in January. In a typically close battle with arch rival New South Wales, it was the youth component of the points score format that ultimately proved the difference and saw Queensland regain the title.

The annual Surf Rescue Championships saw more than 200 lifesavers from across the state converge on Mermaid Beach to put their patrol skills to the ultimate test across three days of intense competition.

In addition to gruelling fitness and athletic challenges, the Championships also have a unique focus on the lifesaving skills and knowledge of each competitor, with two of the three events including a theory component.

Key victories in the water from the Sunshine Coast’s Grace Kaihau and Northcliffe’s Nick Green laid the platform for Queensland’s youth, before teenage

After three days of action, it was Sunshine Coast's Alexandra Headland who mastered the conditions to take out the event.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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REBECCA CREEDY 2015 QUEENSLAND IRONWOMAN CHAMPION

BIO DOB 12/03/1983 SOCIAL

CLUB Northcliffe beccreedy

A former elite swimmer, Rebecca Creedy represented Australia in the pool between 1998 and 2002, winning nine international medals before switching her attention to surf lifesaving and ironwoman racing. A blistering run home in last year’s Queensland final saw Creedy make up 15 metres in the home straight to take out the title ahead of Kirsty Higgison in a nail-biting sprint finish.

With a national title already under her belt, Creedy enters this weekend as one of Australia’s premier ironwomen.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

JORDAN MERCER

BRODIE MOIR

DOB 02/12/1993

DOB 23/09/1986

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CLUB Noosa Heads jordanmercer_1

A sensational summer of racing saw Jordan Mercer claim a maiden title in the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IronWoman series and, in doing so, stamp herself as a genuine superstar of the sport. A former Queensland ironwoman champion and a five-time winner of the Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships, Mercer will be out to continue her winning run this weekend.

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SOCIAL

CLUB North Burleigh brodiemoir

Brodie Moir's sporting resume boasts a Queensland ironwoman title, a world ironwoman title and a Coolangatta Gold victory, placing her well and truly alongside some of the sport’s top competitors. A strong summer of racing saw her finish third overall behind Jordan Mercer and Kirsty Higgison in the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IronWoman Series, and she'll be hoping to carry that form into this weekend.

COURTNEY HANCOCK

KIRSTY HIGGISON

DOB 07/05/1983

DOB 02/06/1993

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CLUB Northcliffe courtz_hancock

There isn’t much in the sport that Courtney Hancock hasn’t achieved. With a resume boasting multiple Queensland and Australian ironwoman championships, three Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Series titles and a Coolangatta Gold victory, it’s easy to see why she’s regarded by many as one of the sport’s premier ironwomen. A consistent performer at the top level, she'll be one to watch this weekend.

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CLUB Noosa Heads

kirstyhigginson

Less than half-a-metre separated Kirsty Higgison from her first Queensland ironwoman title last year.

Entering the home stretch ahead of the pack, she was overrun in the final strides by Rebecca Creedy in a dramatic sprint finish. An off-season switch to Noosa, followed by a stunning run of form over summer, saw her win three rounds of the IronWoman series before eventually finishing second overall.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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MATT BEVILACQUA 2015 QUEENSLAND IRONMAN CHAMPION

BIO DOB 30/03/1992 SOCIAL

CLUB Kurrawa

matt.bevilacqua

matt_bevilacqua

A near-faultless performance in last year’s Queensland ironman final saw Matt Bevilacqua hold off some of the biggest names in the sport to take out his maiden title in the event. A series of strong races in the year since have solidified his reputation as one of the emerging superstars of ironman racing. In July last year Bevilacqua wrote himself into the history books as the only man to win the gruelling Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships in his first attempt, and earlier this year recorded his first stage win in the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

SHANNON ECKSTEIN

ALI DAY

DOB 07/05/1983

DOB 20/07/1990

SOCIAL

CLUB Northcliffe

shannon_eckstein

There’s not much in ironman racing that Shannon Eckstein hasn’t achieved. With multiple state, national and world titles already under his belt, he’s certainly etched his name into the record books as one of Australia’s greatest athletes. Widely regarded for his tactical nous in the surf, he enters this weekend in top form, and you can expect him to be looming large come race day.

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SOCIAL

alastairday

CLUB Surfers Paradise alastair_day

An inspiring performance at last year’s Coolangatta Gold saw Ali Day overcome a crippling stomach bug to notch his third career victory in the gruelling and iconic event. In doing so, he cemented his position as one of the sport’s all-time endurance greats. A former Queensland ironman champion, Day knows how to win under pressure, and will be one to watch come Sunday finals.

CAINE ECKSTEIN

MATT POOLE

DOB 16/11/1985

DOB 20/05/1988

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CLUB Northcliffe

caine.eckstein

caineeckstein

A five-time Coolangatta Gold champion, Caine Eckstein is the undisputed endurance king of ironman racing, with an ability to push himself through the pain barrier that few others can match.

This reputation was further enhanced back in 2014 when he broke the Guinness World Record for the most number of pull-ups completed in 12 and 24 hours.

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CLUB Kurrawa matt_poole1

A second place finish in last year’s Australian ironman final once again confirmed Matt Poole’s place amongst the sport’s elite. A former winner of Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships and a consistently strong performer in the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series, Poole relishes the big stage and will be eager to take out his first Queensland ironman title this weekend.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

OARSOME SURF BOATS UNLEASH ON STATE CHAMPS The state’s top surf boat crews are set to unleash on this year’s Queensland Surf Life Saving Championships at North Burleigh on the Gold Coast, battling the waves, wind and each other in their quest for glory.

It’s been a gripping surf boat season so far with plenty of thrills, spills, and more than a few upsets along the way.

Looking ahead to the open men’s division, it’s shaping up to be a three horse race between the Currumbin Barbarians, Huscarls, and Coal Trains, with each crew producing some strong performances across the summer so far. While the Barbarians haven’t been sighted much in Queensland this season, choosing instead to race the Ocean Thunder series in New South Wales, history shows the reigning Australian Champions will be hard to beat.

Currumbin is also likely to feature prominently in the open women’s division, this time in the form of the Hunters. A shift from Tugun during the off-season hasn’t stifled their momentum, with the former national champions recently finishing third overall at the ASRL Open. But they’ll face tough competition from the experienced Northcliffe Krankits, who recently took out the ASRL Open and will be eager to repeat their success on the Gold Coast.

In the reserve grade, the Alexandra Headland Accountants were recently selected in the Queensland team following a series of strong performances, and will enter the championships as a

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warm favourite. However, the Northcliffe Thunder will be fit and firing and keen to leave their mark on the championships after completing the gruelling George Bass Surfboat Marathon earlier this year.

In the under-23 men’s division, Noosa Q-Clad are the current state representatives in this age group and reigning Queensland champions, and will deservedly enter as favourites. In the women’s division the Maroochydore Assets, recently selected for both the Queensland and as the Australian Development Team, will go head-to-head with the Currumbin Sirens, who will no doubt be out for revenge after just falling short in their bid for state selection.

The under-19 men’s division will see the Alexandra Headland QFFS and Maroochydore enter as joint-favourites, but the Northcliffe Hurricanes will be hoping to cause an upset in their first year of competition.

There are few sports in the world that can match surf boat racing for its raw and unique combination of power, precision and tactical nous. However it’s the excitement and unpredictable nature of the sport that makes it one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the championship calendar each and every year. While crews will be meticulous in their preparation leading into the pointy end of the season, as we’ve seen in previous years, anything could happen come race day.

L R I G F R U RS

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2016

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TREVOR HENDY:

BEHIND THE CHAMPION

W

hen you talk to anyone about surf lifesaving and ironman racing, one of the first names they’ll mention is Trevor Hendy. A legend of the sport, Trevor spent much of the late 1980s and early 1990s rewriting the history books, winning five Queensland ironman titles, six Australian championships and four consecutive World ironman titles along the way.

A four-time winner of the Uncle Toby’s Super Series, he dominated the surf and sand like few before and firmly established a reputation as one of Australia’s greatest-ever sportsmen.

We caught up with Trevor in the lead up to this year’s Queensland Championships to talk about his career highlights, what he’s up to these days, and his thoughts on the sport today.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

rewarding part is seeing that he’s found something he’s passionate about, and it’s inspiring him to do different things and try harder, and not just live the normal life.

He’s evolved to a point where he’s found something that he’s really passionate about, and I’m just stoked that it’s surf lifesaving. And it didn’t matter to me what it was, but it’s really cool and a beautiful connection that it’s in surf, because I get to have that experience with him, and help him give back to the sport as well.

There isn’t much that you didn’t achieve across your professional career, with multiple state, national and world championships along with a number of series titles to your name.

Looking back on it now, is there one achievement or a particular moment that stands out as a highlight?

I think probably winning the Australian Board Rescue with my son TJ [Trevor Hendy Jnr] last year. It was something that wasn’t meant to happen but, at the same time, in a strange way it also felt like it was meant to happen. There have been so many wonderful taplin relay victories, board relays, board rescues, ironman races and things like that, but the win last year is the one that really stands out for me above all else. It was almost like an evolution for me, to be racing purely to be out there with my son and look after him.

And then to have amazing things happen, and manage to pull off a victory, it stands alone for me as the one that had the sweetest feeling.

In the past few years we’ve seen you running around in the opens and the masters divisions as well. What’s your motivation, and what is it about the sport that keeps you coming back?

For me, it’s not so much about the sport these days as it is about the people and friendships. My whole motivation for doing masters last year – which I’ve never done before – was because my old clubmate David Orchard was running and it was probably going to be his last masters before going in for back surgery. David, Dwayne [Thuys] and I won the board relay together a long time ago, probably 25 years ago now. So I raced there mostly because I wanted to share that experience with them.

And racing with TJ was almost like a full circle, and came from us sitting around, talking about it and thinking we could do the board rescue together, to then actually deciding to have a crack at it.

So, for me, it was really all about guys like David and TJ, and I wasn’t really racing for any other reason than to share the experience with those people. So that’s what really inspired me to do something, and not just sit back and watch.

Anyone who saw that race last year, and the celebrations afterwards, could see just how much it meant to both you and TJ. How rewarding is it for you now to see him coming through the sport and starting to make a name for himself in his own right?

It’s super rewarding but, more than anything, it’s not so much about him coming through the sport, but more the fact that he’s connected to it, and loves it, and actually wants to do it. He’s doing it for all of his own reasons and all of the right reasons. And, for me, the most

Outside of surf, what are you up to these days?

I spend a lot of time working closely with, and helping, people and organisations all around the country and the world. That’s my work these days, but it’s also a hobby and a real passion of mine as well. I love working with people who want to challenge themselves, get the best out of themselves, and who want to look at things a little differently. And that’s right up my alley. I work closely with Collingwood Football Club, so every three weeks I’m down there and, when I’m not

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doing that, I’m still helping out at Surfers Paradise surf club. We’ve had the likes of Ali Day and Max Beattie come and join us this year, and it’s been great to help those guys and work with the rest of the squad as well. And, other than that, I’m still surfing whenever I can and I also mix in some photography, and try to work in as much travel with my family wherever I can.

There’s a great quote on your website that says when you retired from professional racing you realised that ‘you loved helping people win their gold medals more than you loved chasing your own’. How much satisfaction do you get these days from working with people and helping them follow their own dreams?

Yeah, I get a lot more satisfaction now doing that than I ever used to. When you win something or conquer something yourself, you get an immense amount of personal satisfaction. It’s an exciting feeling at the time, but it can be a very heady high. When you help someone else though, it’s a different type of fulfilment, and one that goes right to the heart. It’s a much quieter celebration on the inside, but it’s a really fulfilling and different experience altogether.

And, to be truthful, what I love about having all those wins and everything else, is that it’s allowed me to help other people. It’s not all the race wins that I look back on, but it’s what I’ve learnt and how I can use that to sit with someone now who’s struggling with something, or maybe they’re trying to get from A to B and they’ve failed ten times, and help them figure out what’s holding them back. And being able to help someone overcome that, and seeing them start to believe in themselves and realise that life can be really amazing, is a feeling that’s far greater that doing anything just for yourself.

We’ve seen the likes of Shannon Eckstein and Ali Day continuing to perform well, and a number of athletes across both the ironman and ironwoman are also starting to make

their marks on the sport. What are your thoughts on the current guys and girls running around today?

Looking back on the past 15 years or so, I don’t actually think the ironman and woman ranks have been all that healthy. But, that said, it’s a really strong competition now and a lot of that I think comes down to the 'Summer of Surf' series, which has been fantastic for everyone. Not only is it giving everybody something to aspire to and believe in, it’s also giving them their time in the sun.

And, on top of that, it’s providing the guys and girls who are coming through with a chance to compete more often against the elite athletes, so they’re racing more regularly and at a higher standard of competition where everybody turns up at the one spot to get those points on offer.

So, all of a sudden, there’s a real purpose and a passion in the sport again, and we’re seeing more people really digging in to get the best out of themselves.

It’s not only making for really good racing and great drama, but the

competition level is going through the roof. And, to be honest, I think it’s probably refreshed Shannon a bit as well.

He seems to have really responded and reacted this year, and his performances have gone to another level once again. He looks super fit and super strong and he’s just not making mistakes in the water. The other guys may have caught up to him, but they caught up to where he was last year and he’s since taken it up another level altogether. He’s got everyone chasing him, and that’s great for Shannon and it’s great for the sport. At the end of the day, as a champion, you want to leave a legacy and your mark so it gives something for people to aspire to, and that’s what he’s been doing.

And it’s been great to watch the IronWoman Series this year and see how many of the younger girls came through and left the older girls in their wake. It’s a really good sign for the sport, and shows we’re going somewhere new and fresh and with a new bunch of athletes who are really keen.

Looking ahead to the Australian Championships this year, who do you think will be the ones to watch?

Obviously, in the men’s, it’s Shannon who’s been putting it all together, race after race, but there’s only a certain amount of time you can do that for. The mark of an amazing champion is being able to continually lengthen that period of time, and he’s doing a great job of that.

Ali was the one who’s probably got the closest to him this summer, and he’s really started to put his short-course racing together. So they’re the two obvious ones.

But Matty Bevilacqua has had a great year and is really starting to believe in himself, and Matt Poole was runner-up in the Australian ironman last year and will really want to finish off strong. But there’s seriously a dozen or so other guys, including the likes of Dane Farrell, Luke Cuff, Kendrick Louis and plenty of others, who are just below and waiting for their time. And if they have a good race, they could take it to anyone. So it’s a really wide ironman this year, and potentially 2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

anything could happen.

And, when it comes to the ironwoman, I love the way that Jordie [Jordan Mercer] has raced the whole year, particularly in the short-course events. I think she deserves to be the favourite at the moment, and hopefully she can carry that into the race without pressure. She’s slowly and steadily crept up, and she’s just getting better and better. I know she’s been working on a couple of aspects of her race that will help her and she’s definitely getting better at them. She’s just about the complete package now.

And it goes to show that you can sometimes take a snapshot of the sport and believe in it a little too much. For example, we’ll see how far Liz Pluimers is ahead of the field, or how dominant Courtney Hancock and Brodie Moir were, and we think it will be that way for another ten years. But things can change pretty quickly in this sport and, all of a sudden, someone who looked like they had a fair amount to catch up – like Jordie a few years ago – will keep progressing and progressing, and suddenly they’re SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

the one to beat. It’s good, and I love how it happens in our sport. There’s always someone coming through and someone to watch out for.

If you had one piece of advice to those younger athletes coming through and trying to make a name for themselves, what would it be?

Just believe in themselves. At the end of the day, you have to run your own race, both in the water and also off the beach in life. Don’t try to do it like other people, and don’t try to be anyone other than yourself.

Not everybody is going to come through in a race and finish first; but, if you believe in yourself and do it your way, you’ll end up with a sense of who you are, what defines you and what makes you unique.

And that’s really the one thing that you should try to get out of your time in sport. You want to finish up and know who you are as a human being. You don’t want to finish your time in the sport and still have to work that out afterwards. So I think that’s the best advice I can give someone coming through. Find the best

way of doing it that actually suits you the most, and then allow that to become your compass, because that will set you up for the rest of your life and allow you to learn from everything you do.

We’re returning to North Burleigh for State Champs for the first time since 2006. Have you raced there before and what’s your experience in the surf there?

Yeah, I’ve actually raced at North Burleigh a lot over the years. We’ve had lots of carnivals there, from state championships to branch championships, and we even had an Uncle Toby’s round there, and I always loved it. It was one of my favourite beaches to race and possibly even my favourite beach to race at on the Gold Coast. There’s always a bit of swell, and you’ll often get a clean glassy day while you’re there. There are some great banks, and plenty of interesting stuff can go on there. And it’s also a great club and set-up, so I think it’s a great spot for this year’s championships. It should be a great few days of racing.

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SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

QUEENSLAND SPRINTERS RACING TO NORTH BURLEIGH Queensland’s top beach sprinters will put everything on the line at North Burleigh this month when they hit the sand to stake their claim for state glory.

Unlike many of their lifesaving counterparts, who compete across longer races and endurance formats, there are no second chances when it comes to beach sprinting. There are no ‘ebbs and flows’ throughout the race and few shifts in momentum that are commonly seen in the longer events.

In sprinting, a slow start or the simplest of mistakes can often mean the difference between first place and last. Rather, once the starter’s gun goes off, they have roughly ten seconds to put months of hard work and training into practice, as close to perfection as possible, if they want to walk away as the champion.

Once woman who knows all about that is Kurrawa’s Melissa Cracroft-Wilson (nee Howard) who’s made the beach sprint track

her own in recent years. In fact, since 2008 she’s won seven state titles in beach flags and a further four in beach sprints, taking her overall individual tally to 11 Queensland championships and counting.

A strong performance at last year’s Championships once again saw the Kurrawa speedster take the beach flags title ahead of Chanel Morison (Currumbin) and club mate Bree Masters.

However, she fell just short in her bid to claim the individual double, beaten in the beach sprint final by Currumbin’s Olivia Eaton, with Mooloolaba teen Nicole Kay in third place.

In the 2015 men’s events, Mooloolaba’s Jason Gough took out the beach sprint final ahead of Ben Mispelhorn (Kurrawa) and Conor Loughnan (Mooloolaba). In the flags, it was Ben Mispelhorn who came out on top ahead of Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Kurrawa) and Murdoch Finch (Currumbin).

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

IRON MAIDEN: Liz Pluimers hangs up the togs As an ironwoman, Liz Pluimers has done it all. Across more than a decade of elite racing she’s notched up an impressive resume, boasting three NutriGrain IronWoman titles, two Australian ironwoman championships and three consecutive Coolangatta Gold victories.

To this day, she remains the only athlete – male or female – to take out those three events in one season. When you add a further four Australian open board racing titles into the mix, plus six national Taplin victories and some 29 gold medals at the Australian Championships, it’s not hard to see why she’s easily ranked as one of the sport’s all-time greatest athletes.

Off the beach, it’s also been a busy period of time for Pluimers, who recently married her long-time partner and fellow surf lifesaver Stuart Snell, before announcing her plans to retire from professional racing at the end of this season. While a calf injury over summer cruelled her chances of one final NutriGrain title, there’s no doubt that she’ll retire from the sport with her name firmly entrenched among the greatest of ironwomen.

We caught up with Liz in the lead up to this year’s Queensland Championships to talk about her incredible career and her plans for the future.

body and mind. It just wasn't sustainable long term. And I've always been a big believer in loving what you do, so when that isn't the case anymore, I think it's then you realise it's time to give it away and live a bit more of a normal life. Maybe if I were a full-time athlete I could keep going but now that we're married we're looking at moving on into the next stage of our lives.

I've achieved quite a lot throughout my career and I'm content with this. Not that I'm stopping completely; paddling and the ocean will always be something I'll do to stay fit and healthy.

You recently announced your retirement from professional racing.

What brought on the decision, and what does the future hold for you?

Unlike most ironwomen, you weren’t actually born on the coast. What was your pathway into surf sports, and when did you decide that it’s what you wanted to do?

I have always loved to race, but to race at the top of your game you have to be willing to put in the training and make the sacrifices to achieve this. The way I've had to organise my life over the last few years to fit in work, study and training really wears you down and takes it out of your

I've spent most of my life on the Gold Coast, moving here when I was nine years old, but I actually grew up in the country town of Warwick, about two hours inland.

When my dad got a job on the Gold Coast we immediately got involved in Nippers. I always loved going to the beach, being in

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the surf and with my friends, but not in a competitive sense.

When I was younger I was usually the one just making up the numbers, but I still loved competing and training. It wasn't until I was about 14 years old, when I won my first Australian gold medal in a team event, that I realised I wanted to keep going. My love for our sport just grew over the years and, when I won the U19 Aussie ironwoman title, I realised that I might have the potential to go all the way and that winning feeling was addictive.

You’ve had an incredible career over the years. When you look back on everything, is there a particular moment that stands out as a highlight?

I actually get asked this question a lot and I can't pinpoint one particular race.

One of my favourites was winning my first Coolangatta Gold. It had been something I had been trying to achieve for years and I had come close so many times but just couldn't find the top of the podium. To then do it and be the first female to win the long course was the most amazing

feeling. The same can be said about my first Australian ironwoman title in Perth a few years ago; another race I'd come so close to over the years and then it all finally came together. It was such a sense of relief and achievement. I felt like I'd really earnt that one.

Who’s the toughest opponent/s that you’ve raced against over the years, and why?

This is a tough question. I feel like I've been through a few eras in the sport,starting with one of my idols Kristy Price [nee Cameron]. Then there's the likes of Kristy Munroe, Hayley Bateup, Naomi Flood, Kristyl Smith, and Alicia Marriott, just to name a few. Now it's the girls that are starting to dominate the scene today: Jordan Mercer, Georgia Miller, Harriet Brown, etc. They all have their different strengths but they all have the will to win, which is what makes them such tough opponents. They're the ones that have pushed me to become the athlete I am today.

You’ve raced at the top level for more than ten years – how has the sport changed over that time?

I think the sport has definitely changed over the years. As women we've gained

a bit more equality with the men, now getting to race the long course in the Coolangatta Gold and receiving equal prize money as the men, which is great.

Also when I first started, the sport was at a bit of a low with regards to recognition within the wider public and it’s now starting to grow again. This has partly been due to the advances in social media, allowing the sport to advertise itself to a wider public that wasn't possible before.

What advice would you give to young athletes coming through the sport?

I have lived by a few mottos while I've been racing. The first one is one my dad used to say to me before each race and it was simply, 'Be the best that you can be'.

You can never ask for more than that. We are in a sport that can be harsh at times.

You could be the best one out there on the day and then get hit by a wave. But as long as you gave it everything then you should feel content. Maybe not happy with the result or the outcome, but content knowing that you did everything you could and that the rest was out of your hands.

The other is 'Dream, believe, achieve'.

Have a dream, believe that you can do it and set about doing everything you need to do to achieve it.

Finally, enjoy what you're doing.

Unfortunately our sport, and especially

being a female, doesn't give you the big monetary rewards that other sports or professions can; certainly not in line with the amount of time and effort you have to put in to reach your goals. So enjoy it. That doesn't mean you can just mess about in training if you want to be the best you can be, but enjoy pushing yourself, enjoy improving yourself and enjoy that feeling of achieving something and getting out in our wonderful coastal environment. Not everybody is as lucky as we are to live here and enjoy our wonderful beaches.

What will you miss most about competing professionally? And, on the flip-side, what are you looking forward to the most in retirement?

I'm definitely going to miss racing on the big stage. The atmosphere that a big event like the IronWoman Series or the Australian Titles is like no other feeling.

It pumps you up and makes you want to race. I'm also going to miss hanging around before or after training sessions and just chatting with everyone and enjoying the friendships you build in Surf Life Saving.

On the other side of things I'm definitely not going to miss following that black line in the pool. Or having to get in the water when it's freezing cold and raining.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

PATHWAYS PROJECT OPENS DOORS FOR LIFESAVERS Each and every year, thousands of men, women and young adults across the state line up to patrol Queensland’s coastline, providing a vital community service and saving thousands of lives in the process.

However, off the beach and behind the scenes, there are literally hundreds of other roles and opportunities available to those who aren’t confident in the water or who don’t want to get their feet wet. Whether it’s a surf sports coach, official, a BBQ coordinator, a helicopter rescue crewman or a junior activities age manager, there’s a role for everyone in surf lifesaving.

With that in mind, earlier this year Surf Life Saving Queensland launched the ‘Lifesaving Pathways’ project, an engaging and interactive campaign designed to showcase the diverse opportunities available to people within the movement.

“The Pathways project is a great way for us to engage with existing and potential members, and tangibly show them everything that surf lifesaving has to offer,” said membership development manager Brenda Lofthouse.

“We’ve used real volunteers with real stories to give people a genuine look at what it’s like to be involved in surf lifesaving, and showcase where those skills could potentially take you.

“There are so many doors that surf lifesaving can open. Even just having it on your resume is a great way to stand out when it comes to future employment, and that’s not mentioning the leadership, communication and technical skills that you learn

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

along the way,” she said.

Point Lookout’s Simon Johnstone knows all about the pathways available within surf lifesaving, having joined as a nipper when he was at school before rising through the ranks and eventually becoming an active patrolling member. He’s heavily involved as a surf sports official while, outside of lifesaving, he was able to use the skills and experience he’d learnt along the way to successfully transition into a full-time role as a firefighter.

“My mum was an official so I guess I followed in her footsteps, but it’s a great way of contributing to the nipper movement.

Without officials we can’t run carnivals, and not all of us can be coaches or age managers, but being an official means we can hold carnivals and the kids get to do the sports side of lifesaving,” he said.

“Outside of surf lifesaving I’m a full-time firefighter and I have been now for the past 19 years, and there are a lot of similarities between lifesaving and being a firefighter.

“I was fortunate that I had many years of lifesaving under my belt first, and I think that perhaps when I joined the Fire Service they looked favourably on all of my volunteer work. The whole community service aspect of lifesaving transitions well to being a firefighter,” he said.

For further information about the pathways within surf lifesaving, visit lifesavingpathways.com.au

CAITLIN KNIGHT PATROL CAPTAIN / INTENSIVE CARE NURSE

TO HEAR ABOUT MY PATHWAY VISIT:

lifesavingpathways.com.au

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2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

QUEENSLAND YOUNGSTERS LINE UP FOR UQ SECONDARY SCHOOL SURF LEAGUE The next Shannon Eckstein or Liz Pluimers could be unearthed thanks to an exciting and innovative surf competition being rolled out by SLSQ and The University of Queensland.

The two organisations have partnered to deliver the UQ Secondary School Surf League, expanding and building upon the successful competition which has operated in regional locations across the state for the past ten years.

In the past 12 months, the competition has grown in size and strength, introducing hundreds of young students and potential ironmen and women in the making to surf sports and surf lifesaving in a fun and safe environment.

The UQ Secondary Surf School League allows high-school children from all over the state to learn and hone new skills, while challenging themselves and testing their abilities against the surf and other youngsters their age.

A number of carnivals have been held across Queensland in the past 12 months, providing emerging athletes from outside of the surf lifesaving movement with the chance to share in the

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excitement, drama and passion of the sport.

The action will culminate in a championship event at North Burleigh on Thursday, 10 March. The competition will see more than 130 competitors hit the surf and sand across a range of disciplines including swimming, beach sprints and board paddling, with the winning school to be awarded the inaugural UQ Cup. For more information, visit: lifesaving.com.au/uqsecondaryschoolsurfleague

HANG TEN WITH

ALI

As a three-time winner of the Coolangatta Gold and a former Nutri-Grain Ironman series champion, Ali Day knows a thing or two about competing in big races!

We caught up with the ironman champion leading into this year’s Youth Championships to chat about his life as a professional athlete, and his tips for emerging athletes competing this weekend.

How did you first get involved in ironman racing?

My parents started me in Nippers at the age of eight and I was hooked. I loved the ocean and loved watching the ironman on TV on a Saturday afternoon.

From an early age I always wanted to be an ironman; it was my dream.

What’s the best thing about being a professional athlete?

I literally get to wake up everyday and ‘work’ in a field I love. As an ironman, that means a stack of training, three sessions a day, but two of those are at the beach, in the surf. How lucky am I? I get to spend half my life at my favourite place, the beach.

What’s the best coaching tip that you’ve received in your career?

That’s a tricky one, but one that fits my philosophy on training and success is ‘there is no substitute for hard work’. And by that, I understand it to mean hard work training, hard work eating right, listening

to your body and going with the flow of it all. Another pretty major one is to have fun with it, get out there and enjoy it.

afterwards I’ll get a good meal straight into me again, something like a grilled chicken salad.

Do you have any pre-race routines or superstitions?

What advice would you give to a young nipper who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Nope, not really. I used to think that I needed to ‘pump’ myself up and listen to some music and things like that, but now I realise that I get the best out of myself when I’m relaxed, and really in the flow of things. I try to take away the pressures surrounding racing and just focus on enjoying it and perfecting my own race.

What do you normally eat the night before, and day of, an ironman race?

I’ll always eat a good hearty meal – something that’s super simple and nutritious. My night before is always steak and a stack of veggies to get the body flowing right for the next day. Race day is usually something simple, real foods too.

I’ll have a stack of mixed nuts, berries, and a couple of bananas pre-race, and

I’ve learned so much, but I guess I want young kids to know that results don’t always matter. I was pretty terrible and didn’t get my first real win until I was 17 or 18 years old. But I loved what I did, I stayed true to myself, and I worked my butt off to get to where I am today. I had some really great mentors, coaches and heroes that I aspired to be like and I always kept them in mind. It’s really easy these days to shake it off and put it in the ‘too hard’ basket while you’re trying to balance everything else life brings. But if you want it, stay focussed, set personal goals, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, build resilience, know yourself and believe in yourself. You can do whatever you want to, believe that, but realise you have to work for it. And ENJOY IT!

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

JUNIORS VIE FOR BREAKA SURF

JUNIOR LIFESAVER OF THE YEAR 2016

Six young lifesavers have been recognised for their passion and commitment to surf lifesaving, nominated as finalists in this year’s Breaka Under-14 Junior Surf Lifesaver of the Year award.

The award is the highest honour for Surf Life Saving Queensland’s junior members and is designed to recognise nippers who have provided outstanding contributions to their club, branch, and the wider movement across the past season. Many previous winners of this award have gone on to develop into genuine leaders within their club, often assuming senior roles such as patrol and club captains.

Congratulations to William Muscat (Sarina SLSC), George Taifalos (Cairns SLSC), Gemma Glenny (Tugun SLSC), Madison Douglas (Mudjimba SLSC), Zachary Paskin (Yeppoon SLSC) and Chloe Boland (Surfers Paradise SLSC) for their nominations.

SLSQ CEO John Brennan OAM congratulated each finalist, saying they had been recognised for their determination, commitment and passion for beach safety and surf lifesaving.

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

“While these six nominees are quite young in their relative surf lifesaving careers, they’ve all demonstrated a maturity and passion for the movement that’s well above and beyond their years,” Mr Brennan said.

“This award is the highest individual honour that can be given to our younger members, and to be short-listed for it is a wonderful honour and an achievement in itself and something these young lifesavers should be rightly proud of moving forward.

“Surf Life Saving Queensland is an organisation built on the strength of its members, and with young lifesavers such as these finalists in the movement, I think it’s safe to say that we’ll have a pretty strong future ahead of us.

“Importantly, these six nominees are amongst some ten thousand young nippers across the state who enjoy being active in surf lifesaving and get involved in all of the opportunities that the movement can provide, which is wonderful and terrific to see,” he said.

LIFESAVER OF THE YEAR AWARD George Taifalos – Cairns George has been involved in surf lifesaving since 2008, and has been actively involved with patrols since qualifying for his Surf Rescue Certificate.

This season he was selected as the Junior Club Captain at Cairns, and regularly goes out of his way to help younger members and provide water safety for their nipper training sessions. Outside of his patrols, George has also achieved considerable success in the sporting arena, having previously been selected as a member of the North Queensland Branch Youth Championship Team, winning a silver medal in the Under-14 Champion Lifesaver event at the North Australian Championships. In addition to his on-beach efforts, George continues to be active in fundraising and community awareness activities for the club, participating in open days and promotional events at shopping centres.

William Muscat – Sarina Will joined Sarina SLSC in 2014 and, in the short time since, has developed into an integral young member of the club.

He has been active with patrols since obtaining his Surf Rescue Certificate, having already notched up a staggering 127 patrol hours to date. Importantly though, he’s always looking for additional opportunities to take on new roles, learn new skills and help the club wherever possible. Will has taken on a leadership role with the younger nippers, who look to him for guidance and help. Last season he was recognised for his outstanding commitment, named as Sarina’s Best SRC Member. Away from patrols, Will is also a keen surf sports competitor, particularly in the beach arena, and this season he was selected for the North Barrier Branch state team. Moving forward, he’s aiming to obtain his Bronze Medallion and his IRB Crewman’s Certificate.

Zachary Paskin – Yeppoon Zach joined Yeppoon SLSC in 2007 and, despite his young age, has already gone on to become a valuable and well respected member of the club. He obtained his Surf Rescue Certificate late last season and, since then, has been active with patrols alongside his mum and his sister. He has already volunteered more than 40 hours this summer to help protect beachgoers, and also regularly gives up his time on weekends to help out with water safety for nipper training. Zach has also achieved considerable success in the sporting arena and is a keen competitor in the water events. He competed with great success at the 2015 North Australian Championships, picking up a number of medals along the way. His performances were recognised with selection in the Queensland Country Team.

Madison Douglas – Mudjimba Madison joined Mudjimba SLSC as an under-8 in 2009 and has since developed into an extremely valuable junior member of the club. In 2015/16 she was voted as the Junior Club Captain, highlighting the level of respect that she has earned from her fellow members. Madison qualified for her Surf Rescue Certificate at the start of the season, and assisted with a rescue in her first weekend of patrols. Since then, she’s already volunteered more than 100 hours to help patrol her local beach, including giving up her time on Christmas Day. During her time in surf lifesaving, Madison has achieved multiple awards including age champion for several nipper seasons, surf sport champion two years in a row, and female nipper of the year. A keen surf sports athlete, she has completed and placed at many carnivals, both at a branch and state level.

Chloe Boland – Surfers Paradise Chloe has been an active and enthusiastic member of Surfers Paradise SLSC for the

past five years, having first joined as an under-9. Since obtaining her Surf Rescue Certificate, she has been extremely active on patrol, having already completed 58 volunteer hours. During this time she has assisted with rescue situations and first aid treatments. In fact, she was part of the patrol group nominated for a Rescue of the Month award for their efforts in assisting a female swimmer from the surf after she suffered an asthma attack.

Outside of her patrols, she can regularly be found helping out around the club, including setting up for nipper training on Sundays or in the office offering assisting to the administration staff. Chloe’s goals for the year are to achieve the 100 hour patrol award and help her teammates and club achieve their potential at both Branch and State titles.

Gemma Glenny – Tugun Gemma has been involved in the surf life saving movement since she was 5-years-old and has since completed nine consecutive years at Tugun SLSC. As the Junior Club Captain, she has already proven to be an excellent role model for fellow members and the wider surf lifesaving community. She’s completed all possible surf lifesaving awards for her age and, since obtaining her Surf Rescue Certificate in January 2016, has been actively patrolling Tugun to help protect beachgoers. In addition, she has actively assisted with water safety for nipper training. Her enthusiasm and passion for surf lifesaving is illustrated by a willingness to go above and beyond to help her club and fellow members, and, in January this year, she volunteered at a Cambodian school with a group from Tugun SLSC. Gemma regularly demonstrates a design to help in all aspects around her club, be it setting up on a Sunday, mentoring younger nippers or being a leader to her peers.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

GETTING THE BEST FROM YOURSELF AT YOUTH CHAMPS

By Nick Marshall, Surf Life Physio www.surflifephysio.com.au

It’s State Champs time and all the hard training is done – but before you can collect any medals, you have to survive three days of racing. So many athletes go through all the hard work and sacrifice, only to let themselves down in the one week that matters. There’s an old tennis saying that ‘you can’t win a Grand Slam in round one, but you can lose it’, and that also rings true when it comes to surf lifesaving. You need to race well and survive heats, quarters, semi-finals and still be at your best come finals on Sunday.

The best way to achieve this is through recovery. What you do after each race is more important than anything else; you can’t afford to start a tough three days of racing all guns blazing only to limp into Sunday. This article looks at a range of recovery strategies to implement this weekend, and in future races, to give yourself the best chance of being in the mix for finals.

muscles. Having said that, it can take an hour of massage to achieve the same benefits as a short, ten minute swim after a race. With that in mind, the biggest advantage of a massage is relaxation, and it’s probably most effective away from the beach after a day of racing, rather than in between events.

Compression garments Compression garments help recovery by improving circulation and improving the rate at which lactic acid and other exercise by-products are eliminated from working muscles. While there are real benefits when used as a recovery tool, there is not much evidence to suggest they make an athlete go faster while wearing them.

However, they will help you recover faster in between events and perform at your best, race after race.

Active recovery This is not only the most common form of recovery between races, it’s also one of the best. A light swim or jog immediately after finishing your race will help your body remove all the lactic acid and other muscle by-products, improving your chances of starting the next race fresh.

The easiest way to do this at a surf carnival is to go to an adjacent area and float in the surf or catch a few waves until you feel recovered.

Ice baths An ice bath helps muscles recover, prevents swelling, and reduces the chance of muscle soreness and stiffness.

They work by forcing smaller blood vessels to constrict, squeezing out blood containing lactic acid. The cold also resets the body’s core temperature immediately, allowing more time to recover. Should you choose this approach, your ice bath should be 12 degrees or colder, with a total of five minutes immersion (this can be five minutes straight or broken down into five lots of one minute in and two minutes out).

Massage Massages increase blood flow to that particular area of the body and can help reduce the amount of lactic acid in the

Nutrition and hydration Most people think good hydration consists of a sports drink and an energy gel, but quite often it’s actually a simple

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

lack of water that can bring athletes down. The best way monitor hydration is to weigh yourself before a day of racing and again when you get home. If you’re a kilogram (or more) lighter than that morning, you are dehydrated and haven’t had enough to drink during the day. You should then drink one litre of water for each kilogram of weight you have lost.

When it comes to nutrition, your muscles are most receptive to replenishing lost glycogen stores within the first hour after exercise. Getting carbohydrates into your system will help you refuel your muscles and prepare them for your next race. If you don’t feel hungry, try a sports drink or gel.

Stretching Research has shown stretching doesn’t reduce the risk of injury, but can reduce feelings of soreness and tightness afterwards. It can therefore be very useful in between races. The method of stretching is important, and you should seek advice from a physiotherapist about what stretches are best for you. Never stretch muscles that aren’t properly warmed up. Stretching with movement is also a much better way to reduce soreness and improve performance – for example, arm swings are far better than stretching your arm against a wall. It’s also a good idea to use a foam roller to self-stretch and massage particularly sore areas.

Sleep Last, but definitely not least, the most important recovery tool for all athletes is sleep. This is the time when your body repairs itself and adapts, adjusts and

corrects all the physical, emotional, immunological, and neurological stressors of the day. It’s the one recovery method you can’t get wrong – but, having said that, too much sleep can leave you feeling drowsy and lethargic, impacting your performance. It’s important to maintain your normal sleeping patterns during State Champs. Resist the urge to stay up later than normal, or nap during the day, if it’s not something your body is used to.

All in all, recovery is dictated largely by your attitude and how professional you want to be about your racing. It’s not the thing that turns you into a super athlete, but it’s the thing that keeps the athlete super competitive race after race. At Surf

Life Physio, we’ve come up with an easier way for athletes to take ownership of their recovery and have some fun at the same time. We base recovery on a point system, and it’s up to each athlete to accumulate 25 recovery points between each race, and 50 points between each day of competition. It’s a tool that we’ve used with both Queensland and Australian teams with tremendous success. So while you’re sitting under the tent this weekend, make sure you’re thinking about how to get your recovery points.

Nick is currently the physiotherapist for the Queensland Cyclones Surf Life Saving Team, the Australian Surf Life Saving Team and the National Surf Life Saving High Performance Squad.

Between races, try to accumulate 25 points prior to racing again: Recovery strategy

Points

Compression garments

10

Contract bath/shower

5

Active swim recovery

10

Re-hydration

5

Massage

10

Nutritional supplementation

5

Between days of racing try to accumulate 50 points prior to racing again: Recovery strategy

Points

Compression garments

10

Contract bath/shower

5

Active swim recovery

10

Re-hydration

5

Massage

10

Nutritional supplementation

5

Sleep 7+ hours

30

CROCS AND STINGERS CAN T STOP NIPPERS IN THEIR QUEST FOR STATE GLORY After months of hard work and training, the finest crop of North Queensland nippers will race for state glory when they line up at North Burleigh on 11-13 March.

Made up of 44 junior lifesavers from Port Douglas, Ellis Beach, Cairns, Etty Bay and Mission Beach surf clubs, the team will see the youngsters put aside their traditional rivalries and join forces to compete under an overarching North Queensland banner.

The road to North Burleigh has been an interesting and at times challenging, one for the juniors, who are often forced to train at a cable ski park in Cairns to avoid the dangers associated with crocodiles and Irukandji in the surf. But team manager Colin Cameron said it would take a lot more than that to stop them joining some 1,500 other nippers in contesting the event.

“There aren’t many waves up in North Queensland, and swimming in the ocean can be a real challenge at this time of year with crocodiles, box jellyfish, Irukandji

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

and other marine creatures – not to mention the humidity!” Colin said.

“But we make do – the kids are just so excited to have the opportunity to compete in the State Championships and you can guarantee that nothing will get in their way.

“Our competitive season here in North Queensland runs from April to November which is a little different to the rest of the state, so all credit goes to the kids who have continued with their training through to March to prepare themselves for these Championships,” he said.

While training in the surf may be a rarity, the team has come up with a number of unlikely alternatives to maintain their fitness in the water.

“Leading into the championships, the team will often meet and train at the Cable Ski Park in Cairns, and most of them are also members of local swim squads, so they’ll generally do a few sessions each week in the pool,” he said.

“We also make the most of other

swimming options and areas like Lake Placid, Mossman Gorge and certain dams come in extremely handy.”

Colin said the juniors were hoping to build on their feats from last year’s Championships, which saw the relatively small team collect a silver medal, a bronze medal, and 14 other top eight finishes.

SLSQ surf sports manager Stuart Hogben said it was pleasing to see such a strong representation from North Queensland.

“The surf and swell they’ll face on the Gold Coast will no doubt be a fair bit different to the conditions they’re used to training in, but the team’s taking it all in their stride and I’m sure they’ll be ready to go come race day,” Stuart said.

“Surf lifesaving’s all about getting in there and giving it your best shot. It’s a big achievement to compete at the Queensland Championships in the first place and I’ve got no doubt they’ll be giving their southern counterparts a run for their money,” he said.

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Credit: Carolyne Thornton Photography

FUTURE ONE

DREW BEBENDORF

LANEY SMITH

CLUB Tannum Sands

CLUB Kurrawa

• G reatest achievements: 2nd place in the surf swim and 3rd place in the ironman at the 2015 Interstate Branch Championships • Favourite discipline: Board • Favourite athlete: Shannon Eckstein

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

• G reatest achievements: 1st place in the beach flags and 2nd place in the sprint at the 2015 Youth State Champs.

• Favourite discipline: Team events, especially the beach relay • Favourite athlete: Melissa Cracroft-Wilson (nee Howard) and Jordan Mercer

ES TO WATCH

LAUREN NUGENT

CALEB SILVA

CLUB Arcadian

CLUB Kawana Waters

• G reatest achievements: Winning back-to-back ironwoman titles at the Youth Championships, and winning medals in flags, sprints and the 1km run • Favourite discipline: Ironwoman • Favourite athlete: All of the Kellogg’s Series competitors

• Greatest achievement: Winning the under-11 ironman at the 2015 Youth Championships • Favourite discipline: Ironman and team events • Favourite athlete: Shannon Eckstein

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

WHAT S ON @ YOU FREE Outdoor Movie Watch Inside Out at the free outdoor movie on the beach at North Burleigh SLSC. Friday 11 March from 6.30pm.

BYO blankets and chairs.

Proudly presented by Breaka Flavoured Milk.

OFFICIAL MERCH

Grab your official State Champs tees and caps from the merch tent in the vendor area all weekend.

Youth t-shirt $25 Adult t-shirt $30 Cap $30

Heli Rescue Demo

Check out SLSQ’s Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service as it performs a special rescue demonstration!

Friday 11 March from 10am.

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

UTH CHAMPIONSHIPS FREE Breaka

Head to the Breaka tent (next to the State Champs merch tent in the vendor area) each day to get your free Breaka Flavoured Milk!

Proudly provided by Breaka Flavoured Milk.

While stocks last.

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Giveaways

Make sure to listen to the PA announcements each day as we announce where you can go to sample some great Kellogg's Nutri-Grain products!

Proudly provided by Nutri-Grain.

While stocks last.

Athlete Signings

Come see Shannon and Caine Eckstein on Saturday 12 March from 10am.

Free poster and Kellogg's Nutri-Grain giveaways!

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

2016 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

OFFICIAL PROGRAM

Queensland Youth Champs

2016