Surf life-saver travelled 300 miles a week to train

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33675, 26 October 1974, Page 4

Surf life-saver travelled 300 miles a week to train

(By

K. R. TUTTY)

Since winning’ selection in April for the New Zealand women’s surf life-saving team, Miss Robyn Pearson has been faced with travelling 300 miles everv week.

A teacher at the Ashburton Intermediate School, Miss Pearson travelled back and forth twice a week to train at the Queen Elizabeth II Park pool by herself — and once to train with the other two Christchurch girls in the team on Saturday mornings.

But last week she finished her teaching job to concentrate on improving her fitness in the final three weeks before the team leaves for its monthlong tour of Singapore, Sri Lanka and Australia.

Like the other members, Miss Pearson was given a fitness programme after the team was selected. But the travelling has handicapped her preparation, and in the last few weeks illness has further hampered her efforts. Most of her training has consisted of land training, including exercises and running. “I was asked to swim two miles a day in training but • that wasn’t possible. There was no suitable pool in Ashburton, and the travelling and training I was doing was pretty tiring. It has taken me longer than usual to recover from the ’flu I had. But I have great hopes for my training over the next two weeks”, she said. Miss Pearson enjoys all aspects of surf life-saving. “I like to be involved in all areas and not to concentrate on one particular skill. “Surf has so much to

offer. You don’t have to rely on speed entirely. There is a certain amount of luck involved. The aim is to be capable, efficient and fit enough to be able to patrol beaches”. Miss Pearson said women were much more efficient beach patrollers than men. And she did not consider she was treading on dangerous ground making such a statement. “Most men surfers will agree with me,” she said. “Women have more concentration for the boring! part of patrolling — sitting! and watching the beach.' Men play cards or do I something else that takes; their mind off the job”. i It was probably inevi-i table that Miss Pearson! would become a surfer. Her brother Kent, was a' well known Canterbury I surfer before he went to' Australia. But he returns! every Christmas to com-1 pete in the Canterbury; championships. He asked his sister to! join the Waimairi Surf Club, which she did at 15 years of age. In her first | year her tremendous potential showed, and she wasi chosen for the national, championships. She has!

represented her club at. the nationals every year since. ; Now aged 22, Miss Pear-1 son considers her greatest strength lies in being an all-rounder, and being ablej to compete reasonably successfully in any event, either team or individual. The three Canterbury! girls in the New Zealand i team have been practising! the demonstration of the Royal Life Saving Society’s j bronze medallion award! technique which it will! have to do in Singapore! and Sri Lanka, as an educational part of the tour. Miss Pearson has been chosen to outline what the award entails and to give an account of the history of the Royal Life Saving Society and the surf award system in New Zealand. “I’ve been picked to do the talking because I’m a teacher.” But it did not worry Miss Pearson. The only thing she was not completely sure of was whether she would have to use interpreters. The standard of the Sri Lankans was unknown to Miss Pearson and the other team members. All she knew was that the tour will be rigorous, covering the two main coastal areas on both sides of the island.