Surf life saver aims to impress hero in first Coolangatta Gold

She used to watch from the sidelines but now Britney Pierce will be racing the professional ironwoman herself — starting with one of the toughest races in Australia.

Britney Pierce is contesting the arduous Coolangatta Gold this weekend.

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Surf life saver Britney Pierce admits she was not like most other young girls her age growing up.

It was not posters of Miley Cyrus or Drake she treasured most. It was a couple of small, stretchy pieces of fluoro Lycra, slightly worn and splatted with sand.

“I knew the ironman from around here, like Nathan Smith and Hayden Allum,” the Wanda surf life saver said.

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“I used to go and watch their races and when they finished they used to give me their rashies. I still have them.”

Fast forward a few years and now it is Pierce who is preparing for a professional ironwoman series and the gruelling Coolangatta Gold.

“Nathan is now my coach,” the 20-year-old, who secured a spot in the main women’s field for the ironwoman series via a two-day qualifying event on the Sunshine Coast, said.

Britney Pierce competing at the last interstate titles.

Nathan Smith competing at the Australian Surf Life Saving Titles in his heyday.

Smith was a former world, Australian and NSW ironman champion who had five podium finishes — three seconds and two thirds — in the seven Coolangatta Golds he contested.

Pierce, who is at Sydney University doing high school and Aboriginal studies, has been in the surf movement since her Nippers debut at age six.

She will join fellow NSW athletes Naomi Scott (Manly), Lizzie Welborn (Newport) and NSW ironwoman champion Jemma Smith (Umina) in the series which kicks off with the Coolangatta Gold on Sunday.

Naomi Scott is one of the NSW contingent competing on the professional ironwoman series.

“Wanda is the only club I’ve ever been with and I just feel really proud to be able to represent them. The last person to represent Wanda was Olympic swimmer Stacey Gartrell in the 90s,’’ she said.

“The last season and a half I’ve been ambitious to get the results and qualify for this event. I want to be competing against the best ironwomen in Australia.’’

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