Young local athlete has high hopes for Aon New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships 

Young local athlete has high hopes for Aon New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Championships 

As most teenagers head to the beach to socialise and sunbathe, Ella Sutton grabs her board and gets into her training regime. The 16-year-old Gisborne Girls’ High School student is completing final preparations for the Aon New Zealand Lifesaving Championships competition on her home beach. The pinnacle event in the sport surf lifesaving calendar will be held at Midway Beach in Gisborne from 6-9 March.  

Ella has known surf lifesaving all her life. Her father, Matt, is a former head coach at the Midway Surf Lifesaving Club.  

“I was practically born and raised at Midway,” Ella quips. 

Ella is rearing to compete for another National title having won the U15 board race in Christchurch in 2023 and U17 Ironwoman at the Mount in 2024. This year, Ella has her sights again firmly set on the Iron and Board racing events. 

“I can’t wait to have a crack at the Iron and my board race is coming along so want to pull something out for that as well.” 

The surf lifesaving Iron is one of the toughest events in the competition. Athletes compete in swimming, board paddling, ski paddling and running - the four main surf lifesaving competencies - in one event. Danielle McKenzie, one of Ella’s heroes was one of the first Kiwi athletes to compete in Australia’s coveted Nutri-Grain Iron Series in 2014. Ella is keen to follow in Danielle’s footsteps and hopes to take her sporting career to Australia’s pro circuit once she’s finished school. 

Ella says surf lifesaving is unlike any other sport due to the multiple factors athletes contend with every time they enter the water. 

“It’s fun because you never have the same race twice.” 

“The Ocean is different every day. Every single time you put your foot on the line you don’t know what’s going to happen.” 

With nearly 1300 surf lifesaving athletes across New Zealand due to battle it out at Midway Beach, Ella will be one to watch.