Lana Rogers shares her thoughts ahead of the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Sunshine Coast

Rescue ready - It’s a term that resonates with the whole lifesaving community. Yes, we are athletes, but we are surf lifesavers first.

Two-time ironwoman champion Lana Rogers is keen to welcome the country’s best when the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships start on the Coast this week. Picture: Jerad Williams

Rescue ready - It's a term that resonates with the whole lifesaving community.

Yes, we are athletes, but we are surf lifesavers first.

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It's something that not a lot of people know about our sport, in order to compete we have to patrol.

Down at our club all through summer, you'll see athletes donning the red and yellow to keep watch over our beaches.

I also think it's something that's special about our sport, and it's a way to give back to the community that has given us so much.

As athletes we care about our training and our performance, but at our core it's our priority to care about the beaches and the safety of our community.

It's also a way that we can remain connected after our career as athletes.

I think it's super cool when you head down to Noosa Heads and see the likes of legendary ironman Darren Mercer still patrolling.

And while the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships is a competition, it's also the opportunity for us to test our rescue ready skills.

We've spent the summer keeping watch over our beaches, and now it's our time to put those skills to the test.

I'm so excited to welcome Australia's best surf lifesavers to the Sunshine Coast for the Aussies, and I can't wait to see how the next nine days of action packed competition unfolds.

Alexandra Headland lifesaver, and two-time Nutri-Grain ironwoman champion, Lana Rogers will write a number of columns as a countdown to the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

The Aussies will be hosted by Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland and Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Clubs from April 16-24.

Originally published as Lana Rogers shares her thoughts ahead of the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Sunshine Coast