Kalani Ives, Oliver Sharpe win gold at NSW Country Surf Championships

The next ironman and ironwoman might have been unearthed on the North Coast after an outstanding run at the Country Surf Life Saving Championships. See all the winners.

Kalani Ives says she has always wanted to become an ironwoman.

She has been competing in tournaments since she was eight.

Her dreams are edging closer to reality after a dominant performance against her peers.

Kalani, 16, picked up six gold medals for Yamba Surf Life Saving Club at the NSW Country Surf Life Saving Championships.

She had just won the U17 ironwoman race when, in the space of a few minutes, she entered into the open female ironwoman course.

She not only beat competitors six years her senior, she absolutely blitzed them.

Yamba Surf Life Saving Club member Kalani Ives on her way to a gold medal

An ironperson race is the hardest task for any competitor and is the true test of potential for any future endurance athlete.

Lockdown impacted Kalani’s training schedule but she persisted with her efforts to crack into the opens.

“The pool was shut for ages and I had to swim in this crappy pool which was freezing cold,” she said.

“Long distance is my thing especially the ironwoman, it’s my favourite.”

Kalani also took gold in the open female surf, ski and board races and to top it all off she went back into her under 17 age group and snatched two more golds.

She takes inspiration from ironwoman greats like Lana Rogers, who has shown incredible mental strength to become one of Australia’s most competitive ironwoman athletes.

The event finished on January 30 at Forster’s One Mile Beach but the celebrations are still going for the North Coast’s brightest endurance athletes.

Oliver Sharpe, also 16, took out the open male ironperson race.

Oliver, representing Lennox Head/Alstonville Surf Life Saving Club, won gold medals in the U17 male ski, surf and board before taking out the open men’s ironperson race.

Oliver Sharpe from Lennox Head/Alstonville SLSC won the open male ironperson race at the age of 16 at the NSW 2022 Country Surf Life Saving Championships on January 29.

The NSW Country Surf Championships is one of the biggest competitions outside the statewide titles.

Oliver originally wasn’t going to have a crack at the open mens race but did because he thought it would be a laugh.

Little did he know he would be king of the beach at the end of the day.

“I was going to do under 17 iron but I thought you know let’s do the opens with the boys and here I am now,” he said.

“I was shocked (when I won), but that’s surf racing for you.”

Despite the ironperson efforts, Yamba and Lennox Head fell short of a Country Surf title.

Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club won the event for the fifth consecutive year beating Warilla by only seven points at the end of the three-day event.

Adam Mills from Cudgen Headland Surf Club is hoping the club can host the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships at Kingscliff in 2023/24.

Lennox Head/Alstonville finished fourth and Byron Bay in fifth while Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club just squeezed into the top 10.

Cudgen Headland team manager Adam Mills said he was proud of the whole team to retain the title.

“This year we knew it was going to be pretty close,” he said.

“For our guys it was all about the pointscore, backing up in race after race and getting into it.”