THE SURF lifesaving competition season might have been called off early due to coronavirus but Warrnambool's Brayden Casamento has already put this summer in his wake.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Casamento was aiming for a second consecutive medal at the Australian Lifesaving Championships, which were to be held this weekend on the Gold Coast.
But due to the Aussies and the Victorian championships being cancelled in March he will have to wait another year and tackle a different age group in his quest for another national medal.
However, the 19-year-old Warrnambool Surf Lifesaving Club member has seen a silver lining in the cancellations.
It means he can come back next summer, his first full season competing in just the open grade, as a much more rounded athlete.
"I'm excited for the challenge. Down here (in Victoria) I've already been mixing it with the open now for a couple of years but it will be good to have a go at it interstate," he said.
"(Club coach) Steve Kerr and I have been discussing things and seeing where I need to go and what I need to improve on."
READ MORE:
Casamento is hoping to improve his skills away from the board discipline as he looks to target more races at carnivals in the 2020/21 summer.
"This year I have increased my ski paddle a bit more so I can be doing more relays with the boys," the Deakin University commerce student said.
"Now being in open I have got to have more than one event. If I have a bad day on the board then I still got the ski to look forward to.
"I've also been trying to improve my swimming for the iron man, which I still have a bit to go on.
"I've always enjoyed the iron man but I have got to improve the other two legs. I am confident in the board but I have got to get my swimming and ski paddling up to scratch."
With group training called off and the club closed, Casamento has been spending more time in his home gym and paddling and surfing solo.
The break has also given him time to settle into doing his second year of university off campus.
Our COVID-19 news articles relating to public health and safety are free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
