Redhead's Lani Waller overcame a busted toe and hectic schedule to become the first Hunter ironwoman to claim the under-19 and open double at the NSW Surf Lifesaving Championships.
And the scary part for her rivals is she's young enough to do it all again next year.
The 17-year-old took home six gold medals, one silver and three bronze to help Redhead finish third in the club pointscore on 163, just in front of Swansea-Belmont (159). Newport won on 465 and Wanda (220) were second after three days of competition at Queenscliff.
Waller won the under-19 surf, board and ironwoman finals before backing up in the open iron, all on Sunday.
She then produced a remarkable front-running win to become just the third, after Georgia Miller and Emily Doyle, to complete the under-19 and open ironwoman double at the same carnival, and the first from the Hunter.
"I definitely didn't have a lot of expectations going into the open iron because I go in the open events just for the experience of racing against the older girls," Waller said on Monday.
"It was a big shock because I just came out of the 19s iron and had a bit of a toe injury after it, too. I knew I'd had a big day, so I just thought I'll just get out there and see what happens.
"In the 19s iron I was running into the ski leg and I kicked my ski. I sliced my toe, the nail and the top of the toe, open. I'm at the doctors now actually to get it checked out."
The year 12 student also claimed gold with Redhead's open mixed Taplin relay team of Charlie Burns, Daniel Collins, Isak Costello, Tully Elliott and Justin McMorland, and in the under-19 female board relay with Burns and Elliott. Burns, Waller and Elliott were second in the under-19 female Taplin.
Waller was savouring the success but her focus remained on the Australian titles on the Sunshine Coast next month, then training for trials to qualify for a debut spot on national ironwoman series late in the year.
"The Nutri-Grain series has always been a big dream and goal of mine," she said.
"My coach Cosi [former national series competitor Isak Costello], he has helped me a lot through the past three seasons since moving to Redhead to reach that goal.
"That's a big goal for this season, especially because I'm about to finish school, too. Hopefully next season I'll be able to get that goal."
Swansea-Belmont's Kaitlin Rees was another standout from the Hunter at Queenscliff, winning the under 17 female swim and ironwoman. She also earned gold with Luana Da Rocha, Phoebe Doran and Emerson Leadbeatter in the under-17 female beach relay and with Kaleah Kingston in the under-17 female board rescue.
Leadbeatter and Da Rocha also went one-two in the under-17 female beach flags.
Swansea-Belmont's under-17 male single ski relay of Thomas Hall, Samuel Murphy and Aidan Rae were also winners. Redhead's Elliott Graham, Brodie Macadam and Brodie Wright were third.
More teams gold for Swansea-Belmont came in the under-15 male board relay with Kai Cook, Will Paterson and Hamish Rae, the under-17 male board relay with Billy Foran, Samuel Murphy and Aidan Rae and the under-15 male 2x1km beach relay with Thomas and Mitchell Chalmers. Clubmates Harry Hall and Will Paterson were third behind the Chalmers.
Redhead's Blake Cook, Kane Edwards and Brodie Wright took out the under-19 male board relay.
The Cooks Hill combination of Jack Breasley, Stephen Carcary and Alexander and Charlie Walker won the under-19 male surf teams final.
Redhead's Charlie Burns was second to Waller in the under-19 female board and third to her in the under-19 ironwoman.
Individual silver medallists were Nicholas Stoddart (Swansea Belmont) in the open board, Charlie Walker (Cooks Hill) in the under-19 ironman, Brodie Wright (Redhead) in under-17 male board, Emerson Leadbeatter (Swansea-Belmont) in under-17 female beach sprint, William Watts (Redhead) in the under-19 male single ski and Lucinda McNabb (Merewether) in the under-15 female beach flags.
Breakthrough winners last year, Redhead were second in the open men's Taplin with the line-up of Daniel Collins, Blake Cook, Isak Costello, Sam Djodan, Kane Edwards and Justin McMorland.
Also taking silver team medals were Lily Egan and Alexis Sutherland (Cooks Hill) in the under-15 female board rescue, Bodi Bone, Mitchell Chalmers, Thomas Chalmers, and Kai Cook (Swansea-Belmont) in the under-15 male Cameron relay, Tully Elliott, Macy Waller and Andie Widseth (Redhead) in the under-17 female single ski relay and Cambell Connolly, Phoebe Doran, Thomas Hall and Emerson Leadbeatter (Swansea-Belmont) in the under-17 mixed beach relay.
Taking silver in the 2x1km beach run relays were Swansea-Belmont's Cambell Connolly and Tye Worell (under-19 male), and Phoebe Doran and Emerson Leadbeatter (under-17 female).
Luana Da Rocha, Phoebe Doran, Kaylee Dowsett and Emerson Leadbeatter (Swansea Belmont) were second in the under-19 female beach relay. Jack Johns, Phoebe Doran, Emerson Leadbeatter and Tye Worell were runners-up in the under-19 mixed beach relay.
Past winner Daniel Collins (Redhead) was third in the open ironman.
Other bronze medals went to Alexis Sutherland (Cooks Hill) in the under-15 ironwoman, Thomas Hall and Samuel Murphy (Swansea-Belmont) in the under-19 male double ski and Charlie Burns, Hannah Hodgetts, Lani Waller and Andie Widseth (Redhead) in the under-19 female surf teams.
Burns and Macy and Lani Waller grabbed bronze in the open female board relay.
Also third were Burns, Tully Elliott and Lani Waller (Redhead) in the under-19 female single ski relay, Blake Cook, Elliott Graham and William Watts (Redhead) in the under-19 male single ski relay, Bronte Bowker, Tully Elliott and Macy Waller (Redhead) in the under-17 female board relay and Beau McGregor, Josh Murphy and Greg Tobin (Swansea-Belmont) in the open male single ski relay.
Beau McGregor, Kurt Murphy and Nicholas Stoddart were third in the open male board relay, while Swansea-Belmont clubmates Bodi Bone, Hamish Rae, Kai Cook and Liam Doyle took bronze in the under-15 male surf teams.
Individual bronze went to Tully Elliott (Redhead) in the under-17 female single ski, Daniel Collins (Redhead) in the open male single ski, Elliott Graham (Redhead) in the under-17 male single ski, Alexis Sutherland (Cooks Hill) in the under-15 female board, William Griffiths (Redhead) in the under-15 male board, Kane Edwards (Redhead) in the under-17 ironman and Zara Campbell (Cooks Hill) in the under-17 female swim.
Caves Beach took silver in the open march past.
