Olympic kayaking dream for Nutri-Grain ironwoman Jemma Smith
As if racing back-to-back days of ironwoman wasn’t exhausting enough. This surf star and Olympic hopeful will be “warming up’’ for it with a kayaking event in Sydney.
Central Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The surf has helped make her name but it’s on the flatwater Jemma Smith hopes to make a mark at the Paris Olympics.
The Central Coast paddler on Friday kicks off an intense period of kayaking and surf life saving which will see her race at Penrith on Friday before bolting up to Kingscliff for the opening two rounds of the Nutri-Grain series.
“It’s going to be full on,” said the 21-year-old who has joined the Newport Surf Life Saving club to compete this season and is also a member of the NSWIS kayaking team.
“The goal is 2024 Olympics. I have my foot in both ponds at the moment but eventually I’ll head down the kayaking path.”
Born and bred on the Central Coast where surf sports have been a major part of her life since she started in Nippers, the Daley’s Point based Smith hopes to compete across both sports for as long as possible.
It is why she has joined Newport for the summer with the club posting more women for her to compete in teams events with.
“With kayaking, I like the fact what you put in is what you get out of it,” Smith said.
“Sometimes the nature of surf is somewhat unpredictable.”
A natural endurance athlete, Smith is working on his speed in both kayaking and surf life saving, competing across all rounds of the ironwoman series and then competing in a series of Australian kayaking selection events at Penrith in February and March.
The best 20 ironwoman and 20 ironmen will race round one and two at Kingscliff.
Round one will be an Endurosurf - a 40-minute race over an M-Shaped course where swim,
board and ski legs will be raced twice.
Round two on Sunday is a Survival format involving four 10-minute races which work to eliminate athletes to a final field of five.
MORE SPORT
Cricket ‘unknown’ goes big on extraordinary day out
School’s out: Rugby’s Generation Next
‘Relief, disbelief, elation – everything’: Family ties end GF drought
More than three decades after a bunch of mates took their footy side to premiership glory, four of their sons have pulled off a remarkable feat.
RL Central Coast: Preview and grand final gamebreakers
There are bustling props, brilliant playmakers and try-scoring machines. As the RLCC comes to a close this weekend, check out some of the grand final gamebreakers from all grades.