Charlie wins gold in challenging surf

GOLDEN GIRL: Wainui surf athlete Charlie Keepa won a national title at the Oceans 2020 event at Mount Maunganui yesterday. She won the under-12 girls' run-swim-run final, finishing 20 metres ahead of her nearest rival. File picture by Paul Rickard

A gold medal to Charlie Keepa was the Gisborne highlight of Day 2 of the New Zealand “Oceans 20” junior surf lifesaving championships at Mount Maunganui yesterday.

Her win in the under-12 girls' run-swim-run was the third gold medal for Gisborne competitors at the championships.

The Riversun Wainui surf athlete won the bronze medal in the surf race final in her age group on Day 1 of the titles.

“The surf was really quite big and challenging,” said Charlie's mother, Surf Life Saving New Zealand Tairawhiti regional development officer Sonia Keepa.

The surf was running at a solid metre and a half.

“Charlie got a good start with her run down the beach, and swam a good line in the water to the buoys,” Sonia Keepa said.

“As she rounded the last buoy a big set came through and she caught a wave that she was able to body-surf most of the way back to shore. It was a fantastic effort.”

She won by 20 metres. Dawson Building Midway's Ella Sutton was seventh.

The only other medal for Gisborne yesterday was the silver won by Rubi Hart, of Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae, in the u13 girls' beach flags.

Isabel Arthur, of Wainui, was sixth in the u11 girls' flags.

In other run-swim-run results, Chloe Kapene (Waik) was sixth in the u13 girls' final, Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Mid) was fifth in the u14 girls' final, and Tyron Evans (Mid) was fifth in the u14 boys' final.