Sophie Thomas named Life Saving Victoria's Open Athlete of the Year

Warrnambool-based Thomas was honoured as Life Saving Victoria's Open Athlete of the Year for the 2021-22 season at this year's awards but confirmed she will step away from the sport for the foreseeable future to "live life".

"I'm having the year off, I've got the opportunity to go and teach in the Northern Territory in remote Arnhem Land (from mid-January)," she said. "Just taking a break from all of it, It's been a long time, 10 years of two-to-three sessions a day for 10 months of every year.

"The outside world is pulling me I guess. I'm happy with what I've achieved in my career and for the moment I'm taking a step back to focus on work and travel and living life a little bit."

The Emmanuel College teacher said while she couldn't see herself racing at the top level again, the sport would always be in her life in some form and she may look at Masters when she's older.

Thomas, 26, said it was a thrill to take out the prestigious Life Saving Victoria award for her past season competing under the Torquay cap.

"There is a lot of talented open age athletes in Victoria so to be awarded that is really exciting," she said. "I've been up for it a few years and this is the second time I've won it (back in 2018). After quite a good year, it's nice to finish the year on such a high."

Thomas' standout season, which saw her win her fourth consecutive Victorian Iron Woman title as well as the prestigious Jim Wall Iron, has come off the back of a return to her home club, Torquay Surf Life Saving Club. Thomas spent more than five seasons at Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club.

"I grew up doing Nippers at Torquay," she said. "So I went back this year with a few other girls I came up with.

"I wasn't losing interest in the sport but just that love had disappeared a little bit. My brother Nick is the head coach (at Torquay) so to go back and have coaches who coached me when I was younger and sort of created me as an athlete was really good and did give me that drive again.

"It's seemed to have paid dividends for me this season."

Thomas said winning her first Jim Wall title in January was a highlight of her season, as well as achieving further success under the Torquay cap.

"I'd never been able to get a win in the junior one (Jim Wall), let alone to win the open," she said. "That was really exciting for me, being a Torquay-run race.

"I won my fourth Victorian Iron Woman title in a row, which was the first time doing it with the Torquay cap. I could never quite crack it when I was racing with them (prior).

"And winning board rescue with the girls at Torquay, we've got a girl who is 17 so for her to be winning open events, it was really exciting to race with her."

Thomas also made two individual finals at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships for the first time in the board and swim events.

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