Taplin on shoulder from kids does trick
IT took little more than a gentle prod from children Shia and Jett to lure former world ironman champion Phil Clayton back into the water at this week’s Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.
And his masters rivals are probably wishing he’d had a stronger backbone when faced with his young brood.
Clayton, the 2000 world ironman, Taplin relay and board rescue champion, continued his revival at the Aussies yesterday, teaming with fellow guns Wes Berg and Zane Holmes to win the 110+ years men’s Taplin for Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park.
Victory followed the 43year-old’s success in the 130 years board relay (gold) and surf teams (silver) earlier at the event, with pursuit of more silverware in the open board rescue and open Taplin relay still to come this week.
“It’s pretty fun rolling around the cans with your mates,” said Clayton, who is in his first year as coach at Burleigh Heads after taking the reins from Berg.
“Wes is extremely fit and Zane Holmes is Zane Holmes (but competing) was more about having fun and if we came away with a win then so be it. I feel really young at the masters, it’s wonderful.
“My kids are both Nippers themselves. They love it and asked me to go racing so they could cheer me on. It’s a pretty easy thing to do when they’re asking you.
“I think my first national championships was in 1986 and there’s a few guys going around the cans in the teams from then. As head coach at Burleigh Heads it’s pretty easy to get up and have a go.
“It’s just an amazing thing. It’s still just as enjoyable as it was back then.”
Despite his advancing years, Clayton expects to play his role in Burleigh’s quest for open Taplin relay glory.
“The really cool thing about the opens is it’s quite serious. I think we can be up in the top five,” he said.