Gold Coast home to Surf Life Saving Australia’s best athlete and coach

Gold Coast has become home to the best surf athlete and coach in the country following Surf Life Saving Australia’s annual awards night.

GOLD Coast has become home to the best surf athlete and coach in the country following Surf Life Saving Australia’s annual awards night.

Northcliffe’s Georgia Miller was crowned SLSA’s Surf Sports Athlete of the Year at the event, held on Saturday night at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Miller earnt the accolade for her clean sweep of Australia’s biggest titles in the 2018-19 season, including the Coolangatta Gold, Nutri Grain Ironwoman series and Australian ironwoman titles.

Coolangatta Gold Festival. Georgia Miller Ð Defending Coolangatta Gold & Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Champion Pic Tim Marsden

Currumbin’s Kurt Wilson also etched his name into history by being crowned the Surf Sports Coach of the Year.

Surf Life Saving Australia president Graham Ford said the awards were about recognising the significant contribution individuals and clubs made to keep the coastlines safe.

“We are proud that every year close to 180,000 members from around the country give up 1.3 million hours to keep watch over our beaches,” Ford said.

“But on top of that, there are so many people who contribute to keep our surf clubs operating, training and educating our people and the public as well as coaching, officiating and so much more.

“The Awards of Excellence provides us the great opportunity to take time out and recognise those significant contributions by individuals and clubs that make our organisation so unique.

“In addition to recognising the achievements of our surf lifesavers, lifeguards, clubs, trainers and assessors as well as our surf sports stars, we presented the prestigious meritorious awards. The meritorious awards highlight the rescues some of our members have performed.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS BELOW:

SURF LIFESAVER OF THE YEAR: Matthew Harper, Maroubra SLSC, NSW

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: Craig Law, Sunshine Beach SLSC, QLD

CLUB OF THE YEAR: Tweed Heads SLSC & Coolangatta SLSC, QLD

LIFEGUARD OF THE YEAR: Grace Lightfoot, Jan Juc SLSC, VIC

YOUTH LIFESAVER OF THE YEAR: Kai Darwin, Umina SLSC, NSW

TRAINER OF THE YEAR: Jessica Sincock, Lorne SLSC, VIC

COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Albatross Nippers

Nobby’s Beach SLSC, Tallebudgera SLSC and Southport SLSC, QLD

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: Joint Operations Search and Rescue, Far South Coast Branch SLS, NSW

ASSESSOR OF THE YEAR: Kate Perry, Port Noarlunga SLSC, SA

SURF SPORTS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Georgia Miller, BMD Northcliffe SLSC, QLD

SURF SPORTS YOUTH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Lani Pallister, Alexandra Headlands SLSC, QLD

SURF SPORTS OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR: Louis Tassone, North Curl Curl SLSC, NSW

SURF SPORTS COACH OF THE YEAR: Kurt Wilson, Currumbin SLSC, QLD

MERITORIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS

Geraldton SLSC, WA

Sunshine Coast Emergency Response Group, QLD

Grange SLSC, SA

Lorne SLSC, Surf Coast Lifeguards, VIC

Soldiers Beach SLSC, NSW

Bronte SLSC, NSW

Surf Life Saving Central Coast, NSW

North Stradbroke Island Lifeguard Service, QLD

Bronte SLSC, NSW (Rescue 2)

Venus Bay SLSC, VIC

Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopters, NSW

Surf Life Saving Central Coast (Rescue 2)

North Cronulla SLSC, Elouera SLSC, Cronulla SLSC, Maroubra SLSC, and Sutherland Shire Council Lifeguards and Sydney Branch, NSW

Thomas Cervi, Australian Lifeguard Service, QLD

Michael Henderson, Surf Coast RWC Service, VIC

Michael Bates, North Stradbroke Island Lifeguard Service, Point Lookout SLSC, QLD

Mark Cummins, Cabarita Beach SLSC, NSW

Max Taylor, Wamberal SLSC, NSW

SLSA NEW LIFE MEMBERS

Paul Kenny, Cudgen Headland SLSC, NSW

Peter Kirkwood, Maroubra SLSC, NSW

Suzanne Storrie, Clovelly SLSC, NSW

Lenore Grice, Noosa Heads SLSC, QLD

Nancy Joseph, Fairhaven SLSC, VIC

Dr Natalie Hood, Portsea SLSC, VIC

Bob Creek, Darwin SLSC, NT