For the love of the game
This year’s Bachelor might be looking for on-screen passion – but his first loves are life saving and his Olympics ambitions, writes Fleur Mealing.
The 2017 Bachelor, Zac Franich is more than just a pretty face.
Although he is gracing our screens looking for love, the 28 year-old’s real passion is his sport. From the age of four, Franich was out in the ocean training to become a surf life saver.
However at the age of 13 the sport ‘‘wet his competitive appetite’’.
He began training twice a week with the goal of competing in the sport, going on to win national titles.
Since then Franich has combined his passion with his career and works as head coach at the Orewa Surf Life Saving Club.
For Franich his passions have extended past just the sport of surf life saving.
‘‘I got to the age of 20 and decided to try my hand at an Olympic discipline and train for the next six or seven years in the sport of sprint kayaking in the same squad as Lisa Carrington. That became my full-time passion to try and qualify for an Olympics,’’ said Franich.
Although his favourite sporting achievement was representing New Zealand in the 2015 sprint kayaking world championships, it was one fraught with difficulty.
Olympic hopeful Franich was picked as a part of a two person team however his partner Darryl Fitzgerald was not happy with the selection, appealing it in the High Court.
‘‘For me it was a really long road to get there and that year in particular I went through a really messy selection dispute that ended up in the High Court’’.
‘‘After three and half months of sitting in a court room not training together he decided that he did want to paddle with me after all... Part of me does wonder what could have been if that whole ordeal didn’t come about,’’ said Franich.
Despite the hope that he will one day compete at a top level again, Franich said his number one priority is coaching his surf life saving kids.
‘‘If I wanted to get back to that level I wouldn’t be able to do that and I enjoy coaching them too much,’’ said Franich.
Franich is still in the midst of filming for The Bachelor but admitted finding a girl who was big into sport was not a priority as there were far more important qualities.
His sporting background has however played a big role in his time so far on the show.
‘‘Sport puts you in very adverse situations at times. It sort of teaches you just to roll with the punches, things aren’t always going to work out and you have to make do and make it work,’’ said Franich.
‘‘I think I owe a lot to how I think I’ve handled myself through this experience through the lessons I’ve learned and gained through sport.’’
For now he is just looking to find someone that will watch his favourite team the All Blacks with him.