Move north on south-west surf life saving competitor's to-do list

Mia Cook, 17, will contest the open-grade section at the Surf Life Saving Australia inter-states carnival in New South Wales on Thursday, January 11.

The Emmanuel College student, who will start year 12 in a few weeks, will challenge herself in the open-grade at the Maroubra-based one-day carnival for the first time.

Cook, who will also compete at the Super Surf Teams event at the same beach from January 11-13, will get to see the Nutri-Grain Iron-man and Iron-woman competitors after her competitions wrap up.

It will be a chance for the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club member to get a better understanding of what she must do to reach her goal of joining the sport's elite.

Cook wants to move to the Sunshine Coast once she completes her VCE, take a gap year and immerse herself in the surf scene with the ultimate aim of joining the Nutri-Grain series.

"It is is pathway and and journey to train three times a day to get to the Nutri-Grain series and I think that is the overall goal for myself," she told The Standard.

"I am planning on moving up to Queensland once I finish year 12 and pursue surf life saving and hopefully become an iron-woman one day if I keep working hard.

"I think if I mix myself in among some really good athletes at a Queensland club, it will give me a bigger advantage if I am constantly racing against people who are so much better than me. As well as the warmer weather, that should help too."

The training component of the sport is immense.

Cook already does some form of exercise - pool sessions, running, gym and beach work - three times a day, six days a week.

"We have to put in a lot of hours at the pool as well as at the beach doing board training and ski training, to get ourselves used to different conditions," she said.

"I guess the longer on the water, the better it is for our skills.

"It is a multi-discipline sport so if you want to become an iron-woman and be a really strong competitor you have to be good at all areas and you don't really want to have any weaknesses."

Cook is considering studying either physiotherapy or occupational therapy in 2025 after her gap year.

"This is my last year of school so I guess trying to do school and training at the same time will be a little bit difficult," she said.

"Time management will have to be really important for me this year."

The inter-states carnival will give Cook a challenge she will embrace. She expects to compete in board and ski events.

"It's exciting but a little bit nerve-racking," she said.

"It is the top-tier event of the weekend, just because it's the selected few from the state who get to race.

"I am usually in under 19s but they only have open as an age group. It will be a good experience to race against some older and more experienced girls."

Former Warrnambool member Brayden Casamento, who now lives in Queensland, will compete alongside Cook in the Victorian team while Warrnambool's Ellie Johnson will take part in the three-day Surf Super Teams.