Star status has Cooper in the role of mentor

BRIELLE Cooper has had her first glimpse of the nippers who may one day challenge her for the Nutri-Grain woman series crown.

The Kurrawa clubbie (pictured) has joined fellow ironwoman series competitors Tara Coleman and sisters Amy and Karlee Nurthen for the second and final day of a surf camp at Currumbin with more than 150 nippers.

Cooper vividly remembers moulding her skills as a nipper under the guidance of idols like Courtney Hancock, who she now competes against at the highest level.

The 18-year-old series newcomer said those camps helped her become the surf competitor who has gone on to win the last two ironwoman races of the NutriGrain series at Queenscliff and Wollongong.

Now, having experienced what it is like to be on the other side, Cooper knows the juniors she is mentoring could become some of her biggest rivals in the future.

“For me it was definitely the Hancock sisters – they were big mentors in my life,” Cooper said of her nipper days.

“Watching them as kids, that’s what you want to be, the best in our sport. It’s exciting to share my passion with the younger girls and boys.

“I love to be involved purely because I love giving back to the community. I was once a nipper that wanted to absorb all this information from the older girls, so it gives me the opportunity to share some things that I have learnt over the last couple of years and hopefully inspire some of the younger girls to have a crack at ironwoman racing.”

Cooper is still getting used to her star status but some of the nippers are already well versed when it comes to her achievements.

“They do recognise me a little bit,” Cooper said.

“I’m still young, fresh faced. Some of them recognise me and some don’t.”