Young Talent with Iron will

SURF LIFESAVING: Ironman legend Phil Clayton believes Shiloh Young has the potential to be a star of the surf and expects the 12-year-old to put in a bold showing at next month’s state junior surf lifesaving championships at Coolangatta.

The young Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club member displayed her enormous potential when she won the 750m open women’s event at the inaugural Great Australian Swim Series last month.
Despite swimming against competitors more than twice her age and missing the first event of the three-leg competition, the Robina youngster finished well ahead of her closest female competitor at both the Gold Coast and Sydney legs to be crowned the open women’s champ.
Shiloh finished sixth overall in a field of more than 200 in Sydney, with the likes of ironman Ali Day and Olympians Geoff Huegill and Craig Stevens finishing ahead of her.
Clayton, who is the head coach at the Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club, said Young had shown the rare ability to lift a notch on race day.
“She is a very determined little thing and she comes here and she trains and does a few sessions next to the likes of Ky Hurst and Hayley Bateup.” Clayton said.
Clayton said Young had shown strong early signs and could be a future ironwoman star.
“It’s pretty hard to say that this early but it’s on the cards,”  he said.
Young, who hopes to finish in the top group in the ironwoman event at the state titles after making the final last year, recently started one-on-one training with her idol and champion ironwoman Bateup in a bid to gain the extra edge.
The youngster said she hoped to one day emulate the feats of Bateup.
“I would like to win the Ironwoman Series and the Coolangatta Gold like Hayley,” she said.

Source:  Gold Coast Bulletin