Gilmore’s golden touch
Woodridge’s Amica de Jager won four Female U17 individual golds DURBAN Surf’s Tayla Gilmore will in 2017 want to make another statement of excellence after being awarded General Tire/LifesavingSA’s Junior Athlete of the Year in 2016.
Gilmore was the stand out junior at the 2016 National Championships, winning four individual and three relay golds, including the U15 Ironwoman title as she proved a class apart in the surf swim, beach run and surf ski events.
She won a total of 11 medals and carried this incredible form to the Youth InterClub Lifesaving World Championships in the Netherlands in claiming gold, silver and bronze.
Gilmore, at 15 years-old, was the youngest competitor among the international athletes.
Durban Surf, South Africa’s oldest club, triumphed as overall champions with 15 medals and a winning margin of 255 points, beating 82 other clubs including second placed Spanish giants Alcarreno de Salvamento.
Durban Surf ’s overall gold in 2016 was the third in the club’s history after the Seniors’ successes in 1996 and 2004 and follows Youth bronze in 2014 at the World Championships in France.
Durban Surf also provided eight junior members of the South African Youth Team who ranked eight out of 22 nations and won five World National Championship medals.