GOLD COAST MUM WINS 50TH AUSSIES GOLD
Surf Life Saving Australia, March 31, 2014: At the end of her Ironwoman race at the 2014 Australian Surf Life Saving Masters Championship at Scarborough today, Northcliffe’s Anna Ballara sat on the sand and said “I hate this.”
She looked like the race had been the hardest thing she had ever done and that she would never do it again.
But anyone who knows Ballara wouldn’t be fooled – she is a racer and there are 50 gold medals that prove it.
Beating North Burleigh’s Elin Ashfield Hedstrom across the finish line after a grinding 45-49 years final gave Ballara her 50th gold medal in all competition, with the vast bulk of them coming in Masters competition.
“It had no idea until the other day how many I had won, I would have guessed about 30,” she said.
“My daughter (Francesca, 8) asked me how many I had so we got them out and counted them.”
That count added up to 47 gold medals.
Number 48 came early today in the board race, while her 49th gold was won in the single ski race.
It then took plenty of patience to get number 50, as Ashfield Hedstrom took a good early lead in the ski leg of the Ironwoman, and held the advantage close to the beach in the board leg before Ballara drew level in the break.
The pair went stroke for stroke in the swim but Ballara’s determination won out in the end as she got to her feet first and won the sprint up the beach.
And waiting to congratulate “Mighty Mum” was Francesca who made the trip to Perth to cheer on her hero.
Sprinting played a big role on day one of the masters and there was no more impressive performance than that of Queenscliff veteran Paul Hammond.
Hammond, aged 69, is battling prostate cancer but was determined to come to Perth to watch his wife, Sukie, race and to do his bit for his teammates in the 230 years relay.
Determined not to let down his relay mates, Robert Wilson, Greg Gardner and Stephen Hoy, Hammond was first runner for the team and helped put them into contention for a medal, only for them to miss bronze by a fraction of a second in a tight finish.
Sukie’s mission was more successful and had Paul and the tight-knight Queensie crew excited as she beat clubmate Merrilee Linegar to win the 50-54 years beach sprint.
She then teamed with Annabel Nelson, Kelly McFadden and Michelle Sursok to take out the 170 years female beach relay ahead of teams from Sorrento and Coogee.
Linegar also struck gold in the 200 years female beach relay alongside Robyn Henderson, Michelle Hoy and Susan McGinley as they beat Toowoon Bay and another Queenscliff team.
And at the close of play it was Queenscliff (109) who had edged narrowly in front of Queensland’s No One club Northcliffe (101) on the strength of their power on the beach – much of it inspired by Paul Hammond.
Amongst the other big winners was South Australia’s Di Wallace-Ward who collected three gold one silver and one bronze in the 50-54 years age group for Brighton.
Racing as Di Wallace and racing in the black Seacliff cap, the powerful paddler won her first Aussies gold in the open women’s board race at Moana in 1986.
And she showed she has lost none or expertise taking out her specialist board race, the Ironwoman and ski; adding silver in the swim and bronze in the tube.
Noosa Heads, with Grant Kenny (Gold in the 50-54 years Ironman) and Alison Pegg (gold in the 50-54 years swim) and Julie Fidler (Gold 55-59 years ski) and a host of podium finishers has the clubs placed in striking distance on 98, followed by a host of WA clubs, Trigg Island (94), City of Perth (90) Sorrento SLSC (87). Cottesloe (78), Scarboro (69).
Here is the Progressive Pointscore (with the teams events to come tomorrow):
Queenscliff SLSC 109
Northcliffe SLSC 101
Noosa Heads SLSC 98
Trigg Island SLSC 94
City of Perth SLSC 90
Sorrento SLSC (WA) 87
Cottesloe SLSC 78
Scarboro SLSC 69
Kurrawa SLSC 61
Byron Bay SLSC 59
Brighton SLSC (SA) 59
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