Cooly salute for Mercer
SUNDAY’S Coolangatta Gold will begin with a spectacular and emotionally powerful beach start in honour of fallen ironman legend Dean Mercer.
Having started the 41km torture test in deep water in recent years, the nation’s toughest ironmen and women will instead line up on the sand of Coolangatta for a minute’s silence before paying tribute to Mercer with what is being dubbed ‘Paddles Out for Dean’.
In a novel concept, each athlete’s ski paddle will be standing upright at the top of beach and, on the starter’s signal, the field will sprint up the sand to grab them before charging back to the water’s edge to take their skis from their handlers.
Coolangatta Gold spokesman Ian Hanson said the unique start to the race was a mark of respect to Mercer, one of the event’s greatest competitors who died from a cardiac arrest in late August, aged 47.
“The ‘Paddles Out for Dean’ theme flows on from his funeral where the only piece of lifesaving equipment on display inside the service was the paddle he received when he was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame,” he said.
“The original Coolangatta Gold featured an epic start on the beach and by returning to the sand and having the crowd surrounding the athletes it’s going to be a great atmosphere.”
Mr Hanson said further details of the event’s Dean Mercer Memorial Tribute would be revealed at today’s official launch.
“Dean’s family has been involved in the planning and are very appreciative of what Surf Life Saving Australia has put forward,” he said.
“Reen (Mercer, Dean’s widow) has also been invited to be a special guest at the race, which she was touched by.”
A superstar during ironman racing’s golden era, Mercer had a lifelong love affair with the Coolangatta Gold. In addition to finishing runner-up in 2009 and third in 1992 and 2006, he famously contested the race as a 40-year-old.
“It’s a race Deano never won but he wanted to so badly,” Hanson said.
“To keep going at the age of 40 and do the work to be competitive against those younger guys was amazing. He had been an ironman for life and his body had gone to hell and back, but Deano would never take no for an answer.
“If you said no, he’d want to prove you wrong.”
While Mercer’s ironwoman niece Jordan will not contest this weekend’s Coolangatta Gold, his legendary brother Darren will have a special interest in the race as Noosa Heads head coach.