‘A dream come true’: Corrin wins gold at Australian surf lifesaving championships

GOLDEN AUSSIES: Gisborne’s Olivia Corrin won gold medals in a thrilling finish in the individual board race and the board rescue in the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships in Perth at the weekend. Midway’s Corrin also won several other medals in team events for her Gold Coast club. Picture supplied

GISBORNE surf lifesaving athlete Olivia Corrin won two titles at the Australian championships in Perth at the weekend.

They were the first individual Australian titles for the Dawson Building Midway lifeguard, who competes for the Northcliffe Club from the Gold Coast.

The first title came in the open women’s board final where Corrin beat clubmate Harriet Brown in a sprint up the beach to take the gold medal.

“It’s honestly unbelievable; it doesn’t even feel real right now,” Corrin said.

“I can’t even get the words out to describe how amazed I am.

“The whole field was amazing, they’re so talented.

“This is a dream come true.”

Corrin said she knew she had to get a good start and be clean around the cans.

On the way back to the beach she was in a battle with two others in the leading group of paddlers.

“When the three of us were coming in, I knew I just had to keep my head down and rating up.

“I got a nice little run off the water, and sprinted up the beach, using up what I had left.

“It means the world, I’m so lucky to be over here racing in the Aussies.

“It’s so good to have all the Kiwi nippers backing me from home and it’s just amazing to be able to put all my hard work to best use,” Corrin said.

She also won gold in the open women’s board rescue with clubmate Brown, silver in the open women’s surf teams, bronze in the open women’s rescue tube, and bronze in the open women’s board relay,

Corrin finished ninth in the ironwoman final.

Northcliffe clubmate Danielle McKenzie finished second in the ironwoman final, after winning the New Zealand title a few weeks ago.

Fellow Kiwis Joe Collins (Fitzroy) and Cory Taylor (Midway) finished ninth and 10th respectively in the open ironman final.

Earlier in the championships, Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club speedster Oska Smith won the under-19 beach sprint gold medal, competing for Northcliffe. He was also a member of Northcliffe’s gold-medal-winning teams in the open and mixed beach relay, and the silver-medal team in the u19 relay.