Surf Life Saving Queensland Magazine Alexis Williams ALEXIS, 11 FROM BRIBIE ISLAND NIPPERS, COMPETED AT HER FIRST 2024 QUEENSLAND YOUTH SURF LIFESAVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
She tells us how she found the competition:
It’s a feeling I’ll never forget. It made me desperate to get out there and train more, so that I can come back next year. I also loved getting to spend time with my friends, watch them compete and getting to cheer them on. I’m so proud of my teammates from Bribie, and I can’t wait to do it all again with them next season.’
‘My favourite part of the competition was getting through to the semi-finals in the surf swim race. Swimming against the top athletes in challenging conditions that I had never swam in before, pushed me to my limits, but I loved every moment of it.
Ducking under huge waves, then catching them to ride them back in and sprinting across the finish line with my teammates cheering me on was such an amazing feeling!
Within these championships, she managed to score a board from Race One in a giveaway...
It would be a lot! It’s a thought that inspires me every time I’m at the beach. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of something so amazing.’
‘Winning the board from Race One was a dream come true! I was speechless (literally) and overwhelmed with excitement. I couldn’t believe it because my teammate and I had spent ages staring at this board that morning and had been daydreaming about how amazing it would be to have it, so that we had our very own board to train on. Having my own board means that I can train with my friend whenever we want and hopefully, we will be back next year on it in the Surf Rescue Team event!’ ‘I am already planning beach trips to train in different surf conditions, all thanks to Race One for giving me my very first rescue board. I’ll cherish it forever! I have already told my Mum that it’s going on my bedroom wall when I am too big to ride it anymore, so that I can remember this feeling forever!!’ When asked about why she joined Nippers, she explained... ‘I joined Bribie Island Nippers when I was really little because I have always loved the beach, especially the ocean and catching waves. Many of my friends were already doing it, so I thought it was a great way to spend more time with them at my favourite place plus get to make new friends too. I also want to become a lifesaver when I’m older, so that I can hang out on the beach with my friends and help make it a safer place for others to enjoy too, just like my big brother.’ ‘Being a Nippers kid means that I get to enjoy the ocean, make lifelong friends and learn important skills that might save someone’s life one day. . I often think “If each of us Nippers kids helped just one person, how many lives could we save altogether?”
‘Being one of the youngest athletes at the State Championships was quite nerve-wracking at first but it was also incredibly exciting. Racing at a state level among so many very talented athletes was quite surreal, and I was so inspired watching all the other kids out there doing such amazing things. I felt so lucky to get to be there amongst them all and getting to watch some of the older kids definitely helped me realise that if you put in the hard work and are dedicated, you can achieve incredible things.’
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