Wes and Jade Berg reveal their family secrets

They are surf lifesaving royalty but their love of the sport extends beyond into their own family. READ THEIR QUIRKY TALE.

Wes Berg with kids Mila, Billie and Tally.

GOLD Coast iron duo Jade and Wes Berg say their happy place will always be where the weather is warm, the skies are blue and the air smells like salt and sunscreen.

Since they were young they’ve had an affinity with the big blue and their three kids, Mila-May, 9, Billie, 7 and Tally, 4, know no different.

“Wes and I are ocean lovers and we wanted to pass that onto our kids,” former ironwoman Jade Berg (nee Sutcliffe) says.

Wes and Jade Berg with their kids Mila, Billie and Tally.

“I feel super lucky that we have healthy kids and we have the beautiful ocean at our doorstep.

“As athletes, we like to keep a bit of structure in our lives but we love to make sure we give the kids a real outdoor lifestyle.

“They surf all the time, they’re spoiled. They love it.”

At the age of 20, Jade established herself as one of the stars of the Uncle Tobys Ironwoman series but a lack of sponsorship saw the death of the event in 2001.

Less than 18 months later, having done all she could to keep her dream of a professional sporting career alive, the Sydney-born woman was forced to morph into a sport publicist.

Her husband of 13 years, Wes Berg, was the youngest ever male in the national ironman series and went on to compete for more than two decades. Since then, he has trained some of the best surfing athletes in the world, like Joel Parkinson, and coached young surf lifesavers at Burleigh Heads and Miami SLSC.

Jade and Wes’ love story reads like a Nicholas Sparks novel.

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Mila Berg loves surfing on the Gold Coast.

The pair met at a New South Wales south coast surf carnival, near Wes’ home, when they were fresh faced teenagers.

Jade tells Gold Coast Eye from their first date on Valentines Day at Manyana Beach — they have been inseparable.

“Since I have been 16-years-old, that patch of sand has been filled with happy memories,” the now 39-year-old says.

“It’s the place where Wes got down on one knee and where we said “I do”.

“We decided to make Billie’s middle name Manyana..”

Wes says the family recently travelled to his hometown of Shoalhaven and he relished showing the kids why Billie’s name was so special.

When I asked him about popular surfing breaks around the world, he muses “I have travelled the world but I will always love Shoalhaven and the Gold Coast. On the Coast we have some of the best beaches, surf and weather. We are so lucky.”

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Wes and Jade Berg with their kids Mila, Billie and Tally.

During COVID-19, the family of five, who are also Jayco Vanbassadors, have been embracing the great outdoors.

“We have been surfing a lot because the surf has been incredible,” Wes says.

“We love Burleigh Point, Currumbin Alley and Miami.

“But our favourite place, however, is Tally (Tallebudgera) Creek so much so we called our youngest child — Tally.”

Since buying a caravan four years ago, Wes and Jade have been taking any opportunity to explore the east coast of Australia with their kids.

“The caravan hasn’t left our Miami driveway for more than a month, expect during COVID-19,” Jade says.

“Since restrictions have lifted we have been going on three day weekends whenever we can. We even leave our clothes in the van now.

“Some of our favourite places are Yamba, Crescent Head, Coolum, Dicky’s Beach, Double Island Point.”

Along with promoting ocean conservation, the Berg Family want to inspire other families to embrace the beauty of the Gold Coast and all it has to offer.