Kye Taylor wins Nutri-Grain ironman spot with Ky Hurst help in Next Gen series

Words of advice from a surf life saving legend helped this NSW teenager crack a spot in the 2021/22 Nutri-Grain ironman series after a win in the Next Gen qualifier. So what was said?

Words of advice from a surf life saving legend helped NSW teenager Kye Taylor crack a spot in the 2021/22 Nutri-Grain ironman series.

Rising ironman star Kye Taylor used to watch swim videos of surf life saving legend Ky Hurst to improve his own technique.

Now having the multiple Australian surf champion and Olympic swimmer in his corner has helped the 18-year-old from Swansea Belmont secure a spot in the men’s field for next seasons Nutri-Grain ironman series.

Hurst, who started his surf life saving career on the Central Coast, offered to handle for Taylor at the Next Gen event held as a curtain-raiser to the professional ironman series.

Ky Hurst is a former champion ironman and Olympic swimmer.

“He was awesome. He told me where to go in every event, made sure I was hydratyed and doing the little things right,’’ Taylor said.

“It made a difference for me.’’

Taylor had to dominate Sunday’s final race to win the Next Gen series and clinch his spot in next year’s professional series.

Teenage surf life saver Kye Taylor with Ky Hurst. Pic: Supplied

“I was tied coming into today so I knew I had to beat the other guys. I knew what I had to do,’’ said the life saver who works on various Lake Macquarie Beaches.

“Everyone wants to win something like this. It makes all the early mornings and not doing social stuff worth it.

Young surf life saver Kye Taylor in action. Pic: Supplied.

NEW FAMILY IN SURF LIFE SAVING

There’s been the Darren and Jordy Mercer father and daughter team, the Eckstein siblings Shannon and Caine and the Trevor and TJ Hendy father and son act.

Now there’s Swansea Belmont’s surf life saving cousins Bella Williams and Kye Taylor.

The teenagers were stars of the first ever Nutri-Grain Next Gen series at Kingscliff in early February with the pair racing off with identical silver medals.

Young surf life saver Kye Taylor.

But it could potentially have been a gold for Taylor who was unlucky in this sprint to the finish line, tripping on his ski.

Wanda’s Nathan Jay sprinted past to claim victory in the first race of the series designed to throw the spotlight on the sports rising stars and provide them with a pathway into the professional series.

Taylor said he had been inspired by the performance of his cousins Williams in finishing second in her under 19 race.

Young surf life saver Bella Williams dreams of competing on the professional series.

“It is awesome, I was really inspired by Bella’s effort, she led pretty much the whole thing and just got a bit unlucky at the finish,” he said.

“When I heard what today’s format was I was pretty excited as we do a lot of long distance training and I thought it would suit me well.”

Williams was inspired by a dream of competing on the professional ironwoman series in the future, with the male and female winners of the Next Gen series qualifying for next seasons’s main event.

“It would mean the world to make the series. I have had the Nutri Grain series on my dream board since I was young and the ultimate dream is to wear those pink togs,’’ said the Newcastle HSC student.

Surf life saving cousins look to have big fixtures in the sport.

“Having the opportunity to race the way the Nutri Grain guys do is just amazing and a great opportunity for us girls.”

Northcliff’s Auden Parish came third in the men’s race and Manly’s Maddie Ward took bronze in the women’s won by Queenslander. Lucy Derbyshire

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