Rising star in the winner’s Lane

A local surf lifesaving star has brought home a raft of medals from several interstate tournaments and washed away the beach-running and beach-flag competition in WA.

Broome Surf Club rising young champion Chelsea Lane, 16, has secured a number of trophies from the 2016 Interstate Championships in Torquay, Victoria, on January 8, and 2015/2016 Western Australian Country Championships in Secret Harbour on March 6.

She claimed gold in the open beach flags, silver for the open beach relay, bronze in the under-17 beach flags and the under-17 2km beach run, fifth in the under-17 beach sprint and sixth for the open beach sprint at the WSCC.

Lane said there was more to the beach flags races than people may think and converting from laying prone on the ground, then immediately turning and sprinting to a flag against an opponent, was quite difficult, especially on soft sand.

“Speed is important but most of it is in the turn — you have to get up as quick as you can, turn, run and throw yourself at the flag — you’re against the other people and for semifinals, there would be eight competitors with seven flags, gradually it goes down like seven people with six flags and so on,” she said.

“It’s really quick, like it’s reactive; if you don’t get your flag, you can make a dive at one of the other flags, but usually it’s best to go straight to the closest flag”.

Department of Sport and Recreation regional manager Donna Dixon said the young athlete, who was recognised by the Broome Talent Development Program, was well on her way along a sporting pathway and had qualified for the North West Travel Scheme program.

“The NWTS is for 13 to 18 year olds who are on a State recognised sports pathway, such as Chelsea in surf lifesaving competing at state organised events — she also makes the criteria because the Broome Surf Life Saving Club, which put her name forward is affiliated with a state body,” she said.

“The scheme is for the Pilbara and Kimberley only because our travel distance is huge and most athletes will need to travel — it’s about $600 to $800 purely for travel and airfares.

“The club has to give key performance indicators back to DSR, such as photos and results from the competitions as well”.