Gisborne athlete Olivia Corrin finishes 10th in Nutri-Grain IronWoman Series

TOUGH WORK: Big seas added to the challenge of the final two rounds of the elite ironwoman series at Kurrawa Beach in Queensland at the weekend. Pictures by Harvey Allison

Gisborne “iron” athlete Olivia Corrin produced her best results so far in Australia’s elite ironwoman series this summer, and she was thrilled about it.

The 21-year-old finished 10th out of 20 women across the six rounds of the Nutri-Grain IronWoman Series, which ended at Kurrawa Beach in Queensland on Sunday.

It was a fine achievement, given she came into the competition as a “wild card”.

“I am extremely happy with how I raced over the six rounds,” Corrin told The Herald.

“I feel like all of the sacrifices my family and I have made to help me get to where I am now have been worth it.

“I’m now living out my dream as a professional ironwoman.”

She was injured last summer and had to withdraw from the 2020/21 series after three rounds.

Corrin said the conditions on Saturday and Sunday for rounds 5 and 6, the last of this summer’s series, were “super wild and challenging”.

“But it made racing so much more exciting, not only for us as competitors but also for the spectators. It’s awesome to showcase what our sport involves . . . battling all sorts of elements.”

Her 10th placing makes her an automatic qualifier for next year’s series.

“That’s something I am already very excited about,” Corrin said.

Her next competition will be the Shannon Eckstein Classic at Northcliffe on Friday and Saturday.

Corrin competes for the Northcliffe club on the Gold Coast, along with fellow Gisborne and Midway competitor Cory Taylor, and the eventual runner-up in the women’s ironwoman series, fellow New Zealander Danielle McKenzie.

“It will be interesting to see how all of us athletes who have raced this series go.

“After this event there is a good training block to do some hard work before the Queensland state titles and then the Australian titles.

“Unfortunately, due to Covid still hanging around, it is unlikely I will be able to return for the New Zealand nationals this year, which is upsetting.”

At this stage the nationals remain scheduled for Christchurch in March.

“I think what made a difference for me in this year’s series was that I feel like I’ve finally found my place in Australia and a perfect rhythm that suits my lifestyle,” Corrin said.

“After spending 18 months overseas on my own, away from family, and figuring out a routine that works best for me involving training, working and studying, everything feels like it has finally clicked into place.

“I have had a good 18 months of solid training with Naomi Flood and the Northcliffe girls’ squad, as well as learning to do all the admin of adulthood.

“So I feel like I have developed and grown stronger as an athlete and a person.”

That growth was certainly reflected in her results in this summer’s series, where she has lived her dream of racing against the world’s best in this event.