The son of a gun joins coaches in Paradise
SURFERS Paradise Surf Lifesaving Club has added Ironman TJ Hendy to its nippers coaching team for the upcoming season.
The 22-year-old, the son of Ironman legend Trevor Hendy, and George Hunter are the new additions to the coaching team that includes Damien Gulliver, Zayne Hamill and Aaron Findlay.
Hendy announced his arrival on the Ironman scene with victory in the first round of 2017-18, before underlining his potential to finish eighth overall.
Hunter is a former nippers coach at the Muriwai club in New Zealand, a New Zealand National Championships gold medallist and also represented Great Britain at the International Surf Rescue Challenge.
“We look forward to having such great role models and athletes sharing their skills and supporting our nippers and seniors,” Surfers Paradise administration, sponsorship and marketing officer Deb Mackay-Payne said.
Findlay is a five-time Northern Australian ski champion and former water coach at Eimeo Surf Livesaving Club, while Hamill has coached some of Australia’s top ironmen, including Trevor Hendy.
Gulliver’s relationship with Surfers Paradise began as a four-year-old in the late 1970s and he now operates the only surf-specific swim program for nippers at his swim school at Surfers Paradise State School.
Surfers Paradise will be holding more club sign-on days on September 4, 8 and 16 ahead of the first nipper day on September 23.