BALLARAT’S iron siblings Nick and Sophie Thomas are riding on a wave of success as they gear up to compete in their first national surf life saving championships.
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Sophie, 15, and Nick, 18, will compete in the 2012 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast after collecting a medal haul at Victorian titles, staged at Anglesea surf beach last weekend.
The brother and sister athletes, who were introduced to the sport through their Olympic kayaker father Bryan, competed in more than 30 events at the meet, walking away with 13 medals between them.
It has been a stellar season for the pair, who have appeared in carnivals up and down the Victorian coastline. Sophie was made a member of the state team, while Nick has achieved top three results in all his contests.
The Torquay Surf Club members are now keenly looking forward to the challenge of nationals, which will be staged during March 26 to April 1 at Queensland’s Kurrawa Beach.
From their start in Nippers, the siblings have come a long way in the sport, making the trip to Torquay every weekend to train.
The pair has also enjoyed the opportunity to practice closer to home on a rejuvenated Lake Wendouree this summer.
At the 2012 Victorian Lifesaving Championships, Sophie took out the under-17 ironwoman in addition to securing a gold in the under-17 swim. It is the Loreto College student’s third ironwomen title – an event which involves run, swim and board paddle legs.
In the team events, Sophie also collected gold in the under-17 board rescue and taplin relay, silver in the under-17 board relay and open rescue/tube/rescue and bronze in under-19 swim teams and open taplin relay.
Nick, who is studying sports science at the University of Ballarat, had podium success of his own in the teams, securing silver in the under-19 board rescue, board relay and taplin relay and bronze in the under-19 swim teams.
He also won silver in the open taplin relay.