Georgia Miller’s 10 gold medal haul has surf lifesaving world on notice

Surf Life Saving Australia, March 18, 2014: The Aussies 2014 in Scarborough just might see the unearthing of a new Surf Life Saving golden girl with the arrival of Manly’s 17-year-old Georgia Miller. Ian Hanson and John Taylor report on a young lady going places fast.

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SMILE TIME: Georgie Miller all smiles after winning the 2013 Australian Open Surf race

Falzon and Miller:The youngest of the Miller sisters, behind her former Australian champion older siblings Alisha and Brooke, Georgia burst onto the open scene at last year’s Aussies at North Kirra when the teenager caused an upset win in the women’s open surf race – ahead of Northcliffe pair Eliza Smith and Miranda Bell and joined forces with Candice Falzon to win the open board rescue.

Her surf race victory was only Manly’s second ever women’s open surf race victory after 1988 Olympian Sheridan Burge-Lopez won the first in 1991.

And like Burge-Lopez, Miller also excels in the stillwater – having won relay gold for Australia at last year’s FINA World Junior Championships in Dubai.

But after only one winter on the ski, Georgia has emerged as a future Ironwoman and has sleighted the Nutri-Grain Series as one of her goals and given a suitable draw may well start in the Open Ironwoman when the Australian Championships get underway at Scarborough between Marc h 31 and April 6.

And that’s no real surprise after her history-making 10-gold and one bronze medal haul at the recent NSW State Championships at Umina – including the rare Open and Under 19 Ironwoman and Surf Race doubles.

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SURGING: Georgia Miller on the run.

No other competitor male or female in the history of the NSW State championships has ever achieved that feat.

And in an act of kindness to her rivals Georgia pulled out of two other finals because she said she had too much on her plate!

And like two-time Olympian Ky Hurst, Georgia Miller emerged through the Junior ranks at Freshwater before excelling in the pool and combining her talents for Ironwoman racing.

She has put the pool on hold, at least for a couple of weeks, by-passing the Commonwealth Games Trials in Brisbane to pursue her love of the surf and will contest the 2014 Australian Age Championships in Sydney between April 14-21.

Miller listed the highlight of the NSW State Championship carnival as her unexpected victory in the open ironwoman – an event she didn’t think she could win.

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WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Georgeia Miller after her Aussies open surf race win.

“It was definitely the icing on the cake but I never expected to beat Hannah {Minogue]. She is in the Nutri Grain and such a great competitor,’’ said the young Manly star who scored comfortable victories the field in both the open and under 19 ironwoman.

Miller said she did the open surf for a bit of fun. “ It was good to get out there and do the open after the under 19s and see how I went,’’ she said.

“I didn’t want to put any pressure on myself. I am not an open competitor yet. It was a bit of fun.

“I am heading over to Aussies and coming back to do the Australian age swimming. It is on the same time as Commonwealth Games trials.

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FRONT RUNNER: Georgia Miller takes the scalps of Liz Pluimers and Miranda Bell

“I won’t be heading over there this year but definitely doing Aussies [surf] and giving it a go.

“I have still got the Australian age [championships] and can make Australian teams off that if I do make the times.

“I am loving surf at the moment and Aussies is the pinnacle. I want to get over there [Scarborough] and give it my best shot.’’

And that could spell trouble for her older competitors, particularly if the Ironwoman draw suits her amazing swimming ability.

Miller has entered both the Open and Under 19 Ironwoman events at the Aussies – as well as both surf races and she will bolster Manly’s Taplin, Surf and Board and Board rescue teams.

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TO THE RESCUE: Candice Falzon and Georgia Miller win the Aussies 2013 Board Rescue

She will join London Olympian Naomi Flood (ski) and New Zealand international Devon Halligan (board) in the Taplin Relay and with Laura Crerar (board) and Meike Kassulke (ski) in both the Taplin and board relay. Miller will also team with Laura Crerar in the Under 19 board relay.

“At this stage we’ll enter Georgia in both Ironwoman races but it depends on the draw- if it’s swim board or board swim then we’ll have a shot at the open,” said Manly coach Trent Herring.

“Georgia will have a busy program as it is with a host of Under 19 teams and Open teams events as well as the two surf races and its just going to be a case of how we manage her work load.

“We have a two to three year plan with Georgia in up-skilling her craft; she has come through on the board as a Nipper and has managed to get away with laying down off the back of her swimming but we have worked non getting her on her knees and also working on her gym and ski work.”

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Numero Uno: The Miller, Falzon combo claim first place at the Aussies

A super talent, who is also the defending champion in the Australian Open Surf race.

Word is that the Australian selectors also have her in their sights for this year’s Under 19 Australian Team for Rescue 2014, particularly after her gold and silver medal winning relay swims at last year’s World Junior Swimming Championships in Dubai. She will join other swimmers on the Gold Coast in April at a special “Pool Rescue” Time Trial at Palm Beach Currumbin Pool, before the Australian Open and Under 19 teams are announced a week later.

Ian Hanson is the Surf Sports Media Manager for Surf Life Saving Australia and Aussies 2014
John Taylor is the Media Manager for Sydney Northern Beaches SLSA
Both Ian and John have covered surf sports for the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs and the Daily Mirror.

Photos: Harvpix.com The official photographers for Aussies 2014

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia
Hanson Media Group

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