The National Championships were held at Midway Beach in Gisborne last weekend with almost 1500 athletes participating in a wide range of events. Ruby won four gold medals across the competition and Lucy won three gold, one silver and two bronze across her races.

Ruby was thrilled with her results and shares her thoughts on the challenges she faced, the success she achieved and her love of the sport below.

Is this the biggest highlight of your time in surf lifesaving so far?
Every competition is always a huge highlight for me because I love racing; this one especially because I smashed my goals and had heaps of fun with all my friends from Omanu [Beach Surf Lifesaving Club] and the other clubs.

What were the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of the event?
The most challenging part was the cold, it was freezing and we couldn't wear wetsuits, but I still got through all the races with a smile. The most was rewarding aspect was seeing the results from all the hard work I've put in throughout the year.

How intensive was your training in the lead-up to the Championships?
In the lead up to Nationals (from October) we train six days a week. Plus, we have swim and run trainings around those six days. During the winter it slows down a bit, but we still run, ski and swim train. I enjoy training because it’s fun, and the people are awesome and turn it into a great time.

What do you enjoy most about the sport?
The people make it really fun and I love being out in the surf with them all. The best thing is being in the water and getting to train and surf there every day with lots of other people.

What is your next sporting goal?
My next goal was to go to the Australian Nationals – just give it a go and try my hardest – but that has been cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions. So, I'm just going to be trying to keep my fitness up, keep improving my surf skills and look forward to the summer season.