Byron nippers in the running for state awards

FUTURE stars of surf lifesaving Stella Byrne and Tommy Pockley are in the running for one of the most prestigious awards in the sport.

The pair have been selected as finalists in the NSW Junior Lifesaver of the Year Program at Sydney on April 15–17.

It is a rare distinction to have two nippers from the same club, with both coming from the Byron Bay ranks.

The program goes beyond competition and looks at the contributions the kids have made on patrols and in other community aspects of the club.

Byron Bay junior activities coordinator Christian Round said both have shown dedication and maturity beyond their years.

“It’s a pretty big thing for Byron Bay to have two kids representing the branch,” he said.

“Both of them are very dedicated and they’ve come through together from under-7s.

“Stella has older siblings who have done quite well, and Tom has a lot of family history at the club, too.

“He actually lives away at boarding school but always does well when he comes home to compete.”

The camp focuses on leadership, social skills, teamwork and self-awareness.

They will be involved in physical challenges, presentations and discussions, activities and scenarios that require leadership, teamwork and communication.

To get to this point, Stella and Jack were interviewed by a panel of Far North Coast judges who selected them to represent the 10 clubs in the local branch.

The Byron Bay nippers have impressed in and out of the water this season, with Jack Keough winning a gold medal in the under-13 board race at the state championships on March 10.

State titles have now finished with some of the juniors going on to compete in the Australian championships on the Gold Coast next week.

“A bunch of them made finals at state which is a great result for the club,” Round said.

“Some of the events have anywhere between 80–200 kids in them.

“The water quality might be an issue over the next few weeks, but the kids will be ready to go for the Aussies.”

The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships will be held on the Gold Coast at North Kirra and Tugun from March 29–April 6.