Keepa strikes gold at Aussie nationals

Jack Keepa stands atop the podium at the Australian Surf Life Saving Pool Rescue Championships at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre at the weekend. Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club member Keepa was competing for the Northcliffe club at the Australian nationals, where he set an Australian record and won three titles. Picture supplied

Waikanae surf lifeguard Jack Keepa set an Australian record and won three titles at the 2023 Australian Surf Life Saving Pool Rescue Championships at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre at the weekend.

Keepa competed alongside other Kiwi athletes who went across the ditch to compete.

He raced in the colours of Australian club Northcliffe SLSC, alongside many of his New Zealand mates, and was able to race a full programme of individual events and team relays.

“So many outstanding performances and phenomenal swimming,” was the comment from his mum Sonia Keepa.

“Massive congratulations to all the athletes. It was super exciting to watch Zoe Crawford from New Zealand set a new world youth record, and there were tons of Aussie records and some New Zealand records broken.”

Keepa set an Australian record in the under-19 male 100m manikin tow in a time of 53.89 seconds.

His three Australian titles were the u19 male 100m manikin tow, the u19 male 100m manikin carry and the u19 male 50m swim with fins.

He also won a bronze medal in the u19 male 200m super lifesaver.

The team results he was part of included a gold in the open mixed 4x50m pool lifesaver relay with fellow Kiwis Fergus Eadie,  Crawford and Molly Shivnan.

He picked up silver medals in the u19 male 4x25m manikin relay, the open male 4x50m medley relay with Kiwis Joe Collins, Fergus Eadie and Gus Shivnan, and in the u19 male 4x50m medley relay.

Keepa was also part of three bronze-medal-winning team efforts — the open male 4x50m obstacle relay, u19 male 4x50m obstacle relay and the open male 4 x 25m manikin carry.