Photo: Briana Irving
By Symone Tafuna'i
Gisborne based beach sprinter Briana Irving is keen to add to her many world beach sprint titles.
20-year-old Irving already has four world titles to her name and wants to add to that tally at next year's World Life Saving Championships.
The beach sprinter joined her local Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club as a 12-year-old and has "loved it ever since".
"Coming from a place where you don't have access to a lot of facilities...it is quite humbling".
Due to lack of coaches and equipment to cater in her small town she had to, "work a little bit harder than everyone else did".
The Ngāti Porou and Rongowhakaata athlete highlights how her work ethic has aided in her success. Including, "not being afraid to get out there in all types of environments [to train] which is a little different to what people are use too".
Irving also began athletics at a young age where she self-coached herself in the long distance events.
She then came under control of Laura Nagel, a current New Zealand distant coach and athlete.
Irving then moved to her current surf club where she was trained by Corey Hutchings a former World Lifesaving Ironman champion.
Cory Hutchings during the Surf Life Saving championships in 1999. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"It was quite lonely [training by myself] but when I joined my surf club...I started doing shorter distances so I could train with people".
In 2020, the she moved to Auckland to be trained by the leading athletics coach in New Zealand, James Mortimer.
Mortimer also coaches Zoe Hobbs (national 100m champion and Oceania record holder) and Birmingham Commonwealth Games representative, Portia Bing.
Irving expresses how motivational it is, "to train with and against them most days which is really cool...it has helped me become a better athlete".
She says national champion 400m hurdler, Bing has given her a lot of technical sprinting tips to enhance her performance.
"I like training for athletics but I like competing for beach sprints more".
This is evident with the 11 national titles Irving holds currently in beach sprints.
Photo: Briana Irving
She has also represented New Zealand twice at the World Surf Life Saving Championships and is proud to uphold her Māori heritage when she performs on the international stage.
"Values and culture is a big thing on our team....we also get given a green stone which we carry around during competitions".
She says coming from a small town , "it just shows no matter where you are from in New Zealand...small town or big town, anything is possible".
Irving is inspired by athletes who have come from Gisborne like Alicia Hoskin (Olympian canoe sprint), Renee Holmes (Black Fern) and Taylor Reid (Commonwealth Games triathlon bronze medalist).
"It's really cool to see those kind of athletes do so well on the world stage and it is quite inspiring".
In between training's, Irving is currently studying Sports and Recreation majoring in management at the University of Auckland.
She is also doing a placement at Aktive, Auckland Sport and Recreation focusing on women and girls in sport.
"I definitely didn't think sprinting was my calling...but being dedicated to my sport has helped with my success".
The national beach sprinter champion is looking towards qualifying for the 2024 World Life Saving Championships in August on the Gold Coast.
-RNZ