MOTHERS’ YAY
Crew of mums claim remarkable state surf boat title
NORTHCLIFFE’S open women’s surf boat crew will shoot for the big daddy at next month’s national titles after claiming the mother of all wins at the Queensland surf lifesaving championships.
For the 14th year in a row Northcliffe took out the pointscore crown, yet one of the stories of the day at the Sunshine Coast was the crew of Sara Weston (second stroke), Tara Townsend (second bow), Damien Clayphan (sweep), Rachel Clayphan (stroke) and Penelope Hamilton (bow).
All four women are mums, including two – Townsend and Hamilton – who were pregnant this time last year.
Damien Clayphan said the Northcliffe Krankits crew’s remarkable win in the open women’s division was a true family affair. “For us, we actually only started in January with these girls, and two of them were pregnant this time last year and having babies,” he said.
“So all of the girls on the crew are now mothers, and they’re all working hard to get back to the fitness where they used to be at so they can race at the highest level.”
CONTINUED P42-43
COURTNEY Hancock has sounded a warning to her rivals ahead of the Aussies, saying she can find another gear after winning her third Queensland ironwoman title.
Hancock, 29, put in a magnificent swim leg in the ironwoman final at Maroochydore yesterday, mowing down Noosa’s Jordan Mercer, who had opened what looked to be an unassailable lead after the board and ski legs.
Less than an hour after finishing second in the open swim, Hancock was back in action and caught Mercer around the cans before catching a wave that took her across a tricky sandbank in first place to help her seal a piece of surf history.
The Northcliffe veteran’s third win pushed her to second place on the ironwoman honour board and she now sits behind only Surfers Paradise great Karla Gilbert (five titles) on the all-time winners list.
“I was a bit angry with myself on the board; I was next to Jordy coming in and I was one stroke off getting the front wave,” Hancock said.
“I thought it was going to make it really hard from there because Jordy’s really good and she’s a fighter and she’s so fit. But I didn’t give up; I always knew the swim was going to be at the end and they’ve been big swims.
“I knew exactly where I wanted to jump in and swim out and I just had confidence in my race and what I was doing.”
Hancock, who swims without goggles, said she just put her head down and swam as hard as she could once she turned the cans, even scraping her nose on the sand as she pushed to get across the bank that had halted the progress of most racers all afternoon.
“I didn’t even know I was in COURTNEY HANCOCK
front coming in, I didn’t know where anyone was.
“I was just doing my own thing out there,” she said.
Hancock beat Noosa’s Lana Rogers and Northcliffe clubmate Maddy Dunn and her focus is now on the Australian titles in Perth next month.
“There’s still things I need to work on,” she said.
“I still need to work on my ski leg.
“I feel like my swimming needs to go up another level in the pool … so I’ll be back and hopefully go up another notch before Aussies,” she said.
I WAS A BIT ANGRY WITH MYSELF ON THE BOARD