Funding helps athletes ride waves to gold

BARWON Heads 13th Beach Surf Life Saving Club won its first gold medal at the Inflatable Rescue Boat Australian Championships last month.

Held at Thirroul Beach in New South Wales, the women’s team brought home the club’s first ever gold medal at a national championships.

Club Captain Katrina Antony said only four of the nine finals races were conducted due to challenging conditions, so for the women’s team to be one of those winners was extremely exciting.

The team will now start their preparations for the Lifesaving World Championships, which will be held in Adelaide in November.

The championships came after Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville announced that the Club would receive an Athlete Pathway Travel Grant worth $1,500.

Ms Antony said with some members travelling to the competition from as far away as Portland and Inverloch, the funding had come in very handy.

The Athlete Pathway Travel Grant Program helps aspiring Victorian athletes, teams, coaches and officials to realise their sporting potential through grants that remove the barrier of travel and accommodation costs.