Six of Northcliffe’s biggest names have had their say on Surf Life Saving’s summer changes

Six of Northcliffe’s best athletes have spoken out as Surf Life Saving Australia

GEORGIA Miller moved from Sydney, Hannah Sculley from Lennox Heads, Maddy Dunn calls the Sunshine Coast home, Kirsty Higgison started out at Nowra-Culburra SLSC, Harriet Brown navigated Ocean Grove’s icy Victorian waters and Danielle McKenzie crossed the ditch from New Zealand.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF SURF LIFESAVING’S UGLY FEUD

Surf Life Saving stars, Hannah Sculley, Danielle Mckenzie, Georgia Miller, Maddy Dunn, Harriet Brown and Kirsty Higgison, are all against the changes to the Nutri-Grain series. . Picture: Jerad Williams

All six finished in the top 20 of last summer’s Nutri-Grain series, all six relocated from their homes to pursue their careers on the Gold Coast but none of them know what the future of their sport holds.

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“So many people have moved their lives to the Gold Coast and made sacrifices to become iron men and women,” said Miller, who in May last year decided to uproot her life in Sydney and make the move to Northcliffe.

A year later and the 23-year-old completed her first ever perfect season of ironwoman racing, winning the Coolangatta Gold, the Nutri-Grain professional series and the Australian ironwoman title to complete the rare treble crown.

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After dedicating so much to the sport she loves, she fears for the future after Surf Life Saving Australia attempted to introduce stand up paddle boarding and beach obstacle courses as part of the upcoming professional series, only to instead stage the elusive, stand-alone Iron X race.

“It’s our livelihood,” she said.

“I’ve grown up doing this since I was six years old and made so many sacrifices and it would be such a shame if people started to pull out and this sport went downhill even further.

“We want to see the sport go back to the glory days but it’s not going to happen overnight or by putting in two entirely different sports.”

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For former Surfers Paradise, now Northcliffe racer Kirsty Higgison, the potential changes could also impact those around her.

“My family uprooted from the South Coast and there’s a lot of pressure put on ourselves financially,” she said.

“There’s a huge financial burden on ourselves and our family.”

Despite taking out the 2016-17 Nutri-Grain series, Harriet Brown said Surf Life Saving Australia had failed to adequately communicate with athletes.

“Different things have been said to each of us about the plan for next year,” she said.

“You finish second overall and you haven’t even been contacted about the Nutri-Grain series let alone Iron X,” added Maddy Dunn.

“It’s like waking up from a bad dream.”

Surf Life Saving stars, Hannah Sculley, Danielle Mckenzie, Harriet Brown, Kirsty Higgison, Maddy Dunn, and Georgia Miller, are all against the changes to the Nutri-Grain series. . Picture: Jerad Williams

As for rumours that the changes will become permanent as of next year, Danielle McKenzie said athletes would have to revaluate their title.

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“We’re not professional athletes in SUP or Cross-Fit,” she said.

“We don’t have those skills.”

“I’ve only just cracked my first year in the series but if this was happening when I was coming through, I’d be thinking what am I aiming for,” added Hannah Sculley.