FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL: WHAT MAKES GOLD COAST DADS TICK
BEING a father is something Wes Berg will never take for granted.
The Nutri-Grain ironman, 35, grew up watching his father Peter live without the guidance only an old man can give, after Peter’s dad died at an early age.
When Berg had his first child, Mila-May, now four, he knew he wanted to hold her hand through every step.
He happily lives in a girls’ world with wife Jade Sutcliffe and youngest daughter BillieRose, 2.
You would think he would be itching for a baby boy, with Jade 17 weeks pregnant, but the fitness trainer for Joel Parkinson wants another little girl to add to the Berg brigade.
“We’re going to have a very nice surprise after the Ironman series wraps up in Cronulla in February because we don’t know yet what gender the baby is,” Berg said.
“Everyone is saying ‘ You must really be wanting a boy’ but to be honest I think it’d be great to have three girls.
“The dynamics are really cool with the girls.
“Obviously I want a boy eventually but as long as the baby is happy, healthy and ready for the world ahead of it, I’ll be one very happy dad.”
Growing up in the bush near Illawarra, Berg said he was the dark sheep of his fam- ily, taking to the surf instead of the rugby league turf.
While he’s eager to see his kids grow up embracing the water like he did, he said he understood the importance of finding your own feet.
“We go out whale-watching and I take the girls stand-up paddling and I would love them to love the water,” he said.
“I just want it to be a natural progression for them – I really don’t want to force them into anything.
“I don’t care what they do but it’s important to me that they have the life skills to be able to be around the surf.”
While he has a safe standing in the Ironman Hall of Fame, competing for more than 10 years, and a stable of high-profile surfers under his wing including Mark Occhilupo, Dusty Payne and world junior champion Jack Freestone, nothing has touched Berg’s heart quite like fatherhood.
“It’s an amazing experience being a dad, and only dads will understand how much we want to protect our kids,” he said.
“I have little ones to take on adventures with me and teach them about different aspects of life and watch them grow into beautiful people that I raised them to be.
“My dad lost his father when he was five and I lost my little brother when I was eight, so family really does mean everything to me.”