Brown soaks up magical maiden win
HARRIET Brown is odds-on to defend her Nutri-Grain series title after sealing an emotional maiden race win in her home state of Victoria.
While she won her first title last year and led the series heading into the weekend’s round, a race win had proved elusive for Brown, who had finished second in the past two races this season to bring her career tally of runner-up placings to seven.
The 27-year-old had shared with father Colin on race morning her doubt she would ever rack up a race win. And that looked as though it would be the outcome again yesterday, with North Bondi’s Lizzie Welborn establishing what seemed to be a race-winning lead in the final ski leg before she came off her craft 70m from shore.
Brown, who had challenged for the lead throughout the 30minute race, had resigned herself to being a bridesmaid again but was able to hold her ski true through the break to seal an emotional win.
Now a Gold Coast resident, the Victorian product celebrated in front of several family and friends who had gathered at Fairhaven Beach on Victoria’s Surf Coast, about an hour’s drive west of her home club of Ocean Grove.
“Lizzie was way ahead and I was just thinking to myself, ‘another second’,” Brown said.
“I had to be happy with that but then (when Welborn fell), that’s the luck of the surf, sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t and I was just lucky enough to hold that last ski wave.
“The whole way through I was trying not to think where I was coming, my plan from the start was to keep pushing and keep the pressure on no matter where I was.” Brown enjoyed a long hug with her mother Carmel on the beach after breaking her victory curse.
“Mum and Dad come to every race but it’s pretty cool down here to have family and school friends down here and to actually win an event here is pretty special,” she said.
“It was pretty cool down here today seeing so many kids that I’ve coached and done clinics for over the years here to support all of us.”
Brown holds a 70-point lead over Northcliffe clubmate Maddy Dunn.