Nutri-Grain ironwoman: Lizzie Welborn, Georgia Miller podium, Lana Rogers wins

Surf life saving ironwoman Lizzie Welborn hasn’t won what she considers a major race since she was 17. But something has just happened that has lit a real fire in her belly.

Georgia Miller, Lana Rogers and Lizzie Welborn dominated the Nutri-Grain series.

Lizzie Welborn is missing that winning feeling.

The Newport surf lifesaver on Sunday finished third in the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series at Kingscliff after a countback with fellow northern beaches surf star Georgia Miller.

And Welborn wasn’t happy about it.

“I needed to beat Georgia to get second’’ said Welborn after Queenslander Lana Rogers successfully defended the ironwoman crow at Kingscliff on Sunday.

Lizzie Welborn competing in the final rounds of the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series at Kingscliff in late February.

“I am happy to be racing consistently but I am really devastated I couldn’t get second. I wanted to beat my result form last season.

“This will leave a fire in my belly. I am just dying to win a major race.’’

Welborn said she considered Australian crowns and Nutri-Grain series win as “major” and hasn’t achieved either since she was a teenager.

Now 22, Welborn has her sights set on winning at the Australian championships on the Sunshine Coast from April 16-24.

Later this week she will head north to Newcastle for the NSW surf life saving state championships.

Lizzie Welborn finished third in the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series.

Rogers was the form athlete of the women’s series this year, winning four of the six rounds.

Miller, who now lives and trains on the Gold Coast, won two legs to finish second overall ahead of Welborn, who did not place outside the top four the entire series.

Danielle McKenzie finished fourth, Tiarnee Masie fifth, Emma Woods sixth, Jemma Smith from Newport seventh, Tayla Halliday eighth and Naomi Scott from Manly ninth.

GREAT SCOTT! FROM COUCH TO SURF SERIES FOR NAOMI

Naomi Scott remembers the excitement of competing for the first time in surf life saving’s professional ironwoman series and in the wake of illness and a Covid lockdown she’s finally got that feeling back.

But ice baths, early nights in bed and fruit and vegetables will be a as important to Scott as her tactics in the delayed Nutri-Grain ironwoman series starting Friday.

On the rebound from glandular fever, Scott is still unsure how far she can push her body and how it will cope with three races in as many days when the surf series kicks off at Kingscliff.

Naomi Scott is one the comeback from glandular fever and ready for a big season. Pic: Tim Hunter.

It’s why she will be following a strict routine of recovery after every race she does at a beach chosen near the NSW Queensland border in case Covid restrictions suddenly come back into play.

“It will be interesting to see how I got,’’ said the Manly surf lifesavers, who was sent to the sidelines for two months while recovering from her illness.

“I’ll just have to see how it goes and react.

“I have a game plan going into it to make sure I recover well from each race.

“I do ice baths, I find them useful, I do lots of rolling out, the next day I get massages.

“I’m usually in bed early, by around 8.30pm to 9pm and I try and keep my food really healthy with lots of fruits and vegetable, lots of colour.’’

Naomi Scott is from the northern beaches. Pic: Tim Hunter.

Scott, who lives at Freshwater, earned her spot in the main field after winning the series trials last year, forced to requalify when the virus cut short her racing in the 2020 series.

So severe were her symptoms with glandular fever there were days she struggled to get out of bed or off the couch.

“I’m just super happy to be racing, I’ve missed it,’’ said the 21-year-old.

“I am definitely going into it looking for good results … I want to enjoy it and take it as it comes.

“I was 17 when I was the most excited I have ever been and I have that excitement back.’’

Naomi Scott is one of a strong field of NSW athletes competing in the famous surf series.

In January, following the postponement of the Cronulla round, the decision was made to crunch the entire iron series into two extended weekends.

The second weekend of racing is from February 25-27.

This follows on from nearly all major surf events being cancelled last season, including the Australian championships.

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