CLASSIC ESCAPE
SCULLEY GETS A LIFT IN VICTORY
HANNAH Sculley has 4000 reasons to smile.
Not only did she take out $4000 in less than an hour in yesterday’s Shannon Eckstein Classic, but the Northcliffe competitor also escaped a lift scare the night before.
Just before 8.30pm on Thursday night, the 20-yearold and 10 of her lifesaving mates became trapped in the Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise hotel elevator on their way home from a Surf Life Saving Australia meeting.
After about 30 minutes, Sculley – the smallest of the contingent – was able to squeeze her way to freedom.
For the rest, it was another hour before they were freed.
“It is what it is,” Sculley laughed.
“The firefighters managed to make a small gap and I was the only one small enough to get through so I got out and went home.
“I was only in there for half an hour but the rest of them messaged me an hour later saying they’d just gotten out.
“It’s was a funny situation and hopefully the ironman and ironwoman winner were in the lift as well because that’d be a good story.”
The lift scare didn’t impact the Northcliffe star’s preparations as she went on yesterday to take out the board and ski legs of the inaugural Shannon Eckstein Classic Dash for Cash event at Northcliffe, taking out $4000 in the process.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” said Sculley, who revealed she would just “spend the money” on a shopping spree.
“It was pretty surreal and all a bit of fun but I’m stoked to pick up some cash.”
After taking out the board race in challenging conditions, Sculley faced a sprint to the finish against teammate Georgia Miller.
“The tide was very low so my calves were killing me after the board,” she said.
“I was pretty lucky to win the ski because my legs were cooked. I thought Georgia had me for sure.”
Sculley will have the chance to add $20,000 to her prize pool today when she competes in the star-studded open ironwoman event against Courtney Hancock, Lana Rogers, Lizzie Welborn and Maddy Dunn.
“I’m looking forward to it but there’s supposed to be a low tide again so it’ll be a killer run,” she said.
In the other Dash for Cash heats, Naomi Scott and Jackson Maynard claimed honours in the swimming leg, Matt Poole in the men’s board and Hayden White took out the men’s ski.