Ironwomen to stare down demons in attempt to win Coolangatta Gold

THEY’RE favourites for the Coolangatta Gold crown but Allie Britton and Georgia Miller will have to overcome their own demons to claim the title.

ONE had nightmares after her body failed her last year while the other has had a nightmare preparation for this year’s race but both Georgia Miller and Allie Britton are ready to stare down surf lifesaving’s toughest test to be able to call themselves Coolangatta Gold champion.

The absence of three-time Gold champion Courtney Hancock from the 41km endurance test means a new women’s champion will be crowned on Sunday.

But both Britton and Miller will have to stare down their demons to conquer surf lifesaving’s most gruelling test.

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Georgia Miller (left) and Allie Britton (right) head into the Coolangatta Gold 2018 as favourites for the women’s title. Photo by Richard Gosling

Kurrawa’s Britton heads into the race as favourite after finishing second for the past two years but her withering finish on the final 7.1km run leg is in jeopardy after a bout of plantar fasciitis that has plagued her entire preparation.

Britton ran past Miller in last year’s dying stages as the then-Sydney based ironwoman hit the wall in the gruelling race.

“I nearly didn’t finish last year which just gave me nightmares for weeks and weeks after,” said Miller, who moved to the Gold Coast during the winter and is now based at Northcliffe.

“To be so close to the finish and literally telling your body to go and not having it go is a really scary feeling.

“I look back now and think: ‘What was I thinking?’. I didn’t have enough water and my nutrition wasn’t great.

“I was so excited about it all and so excited that I was with (eventual winner) Courtney Hancock that I just absolutely hit the wall with about 2km to go.

“I was still in second and then got run down by Allie and by Danielle (McKenzie).

Georgia Miller is out to banish her demons when she tackles the Coolangatta Gold on Sunday. Photo by Richard Gosling

“It was heartbreaking.

“I remember just telling myself, ‘you’ve got to keep moving’ and my legs just wouldn’t go, I got blurred vision and it just wasn’t working well.

“To cross the line by the end of that was an achievement.”

Britton finished just 26 seconds behind Hancock after an outstanding run but she will compete in pain on Sunday with a “shredded” plantar fascia, the connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot.

“I’ve had a lot of work done on it with specialists … but we’ve run out of time and I’m just going to put it out of my mind and won’t let it deter me,” Britton said.

Britton said the race would change without Hancock racing after she took out the past two Gold titles.

“I wish that she was (racing), it was an honour lining up next to her and I think that this whole race will change now without her in it,” Britton said.

“All the girls lining up are hungry for the crown.”

Allie Britton reacts with spectators as she finishes second in the Coolangatta Gold iron woman race at Coolangatta Beach. Photo: AAP

An inability to run has forced Britton to work on her water legs since moving to Kurrawa in the off-season to link with coach Nick Crilly.

“I definitely have been working on my weaknesses given that my foot’s not been fantastic, I’ve really worked on my swimming and my ski paddling,” she said.

“My swimming has always been my weakness but where I’d wake up some weekends and think, I’ll go for a run, I haven’t had that choice.