Eaton inspired by her father’s memory
World beach sprint champion Olivia Eaton’s dad died in September but he’ll be helping the 20-year-old defend her title at the world surf lifesaving championships in Adelaide this weekend.
The New Plymouth-born woman currently holds the women’s world beach sprints title and says her dad Craig, who died from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos, has inspired her to carry on.
‘‘Sometimes you feel like you just don’t want to do anything,’’ Eaton said. ‘‘But he was so supportive of my sporting endeavours and what I wanted to achieve.
‘‘That’s just something that I’m going to use every time that I race from now on. It’s going to give more reason to everything.’’
Eaton has held the beach sprints title since 2016 and has been living in Australia’s Gold Coast for two years, shifting from Taranaki to better her sprinting career.
When she lived in New Plymouth her dad, who was a builder in the region, would take her to and from her trainings and competitions across the country – pushing her all the way.
During her father’s nearly-two year battle with cancer, Eaton stayed in the Gold Coast training.
‘‘It was extremely tough, I wanted to be around my family a lot more. I saw them all the time but it was hard not being around them every single day.’’
It is this enthusiasm that keeps her, along with her mother Lianne and her two sisters Rebecca and Courtney, going.
‘‘It was hard because we’re such a close family but we have done and will do all the best that we can.
‘‘It’s really good to have a positive reason to keep going on the days that sometimes you feel like you don’t want to.
‘‘He wants the best for us and just wants us to chase our dreams.’’
Eaton is representing the Black Fins surf lifesaving team at Adelaide’s Glenelg Beach, and often travels home to compete in domestic competitions.
She said there was ‘‘no doubt in her mind’’ her dad would want her to push herself her hardest at the world championships, despite her grief over his death.