Tiarne out of sister’s shadow
TIARNE Smith reckons she’s been living in her sister Kristyl’s shadow for most of her life ... until yesterday.
After coaching Northcliffe at the youth Aussies all weekend, Smith backed it up at Broadbeach yesterday with a win the women’s 35-39 female board race ahead of her sister.
“I think that’s the first time I’ve raced her and beaten her,” she said.
“I’m pretty shocked.
“I didn’t think I was in a position to win it.
“It was a pretty special race because I haven’t won the board in a while.”
The win means Smith adds to her already impressive medal collection, with the 40year-old laying claim to 36 masters Australian gold medals to go with the 15 open medals in her collection.
“I keep them in a box in a cupboard at home,” she said.
“I don’t actually keep my state ones.
“I keep my Aussies ones because they’re pretty special but I re-use the state ones and give them away to Nippers so there could be green caps (under-6 and under-7 Nippers) walking around with state medals and they don’t know it.”
Making Smith’s win even more remarkable is the fact she spent her weekend coaching Northcliffe’s emerging stars at the youth Aussies before taking to the water herself.
“You spend your whole day getting kids to races and walking up and down the beach so it’s pretty physically and mentally tiring,” she said.
“You walk around 10-16km a day so it’s exhausting.”
Though Smith believes her coaching role makes the transition into competing even smoother.
“The kids keep me fit,” she said.
“I don’t train as much as I’d like to but they push me and I have to keep up with them so it’s a good workout.” really