It’s now, Miss Sculley.
You can feel it in the air.
You can sense the anticipation.
Athletes beginning to taper, some cramming.
Morning alarms sounding for the final push.
15 spots up for grabs.
Will you earn yours?
The 2025/26 Shaw and Partners Iron Series Trial, presented by Race One Surf Craft, is getting ready to launch, and so are our athletes!
With 7 series under her belt, 4 successful trials and countless Ironwoman and craft events accomplished, Race One’s Hannah Sculley will be one of the most decorated triallist on the starting line.
Despite her questioning why on earth we would want to share a blog about her, that she’s really been ‘not up to much’ and has mostly been filling her time with ‘boring things’, we disagreed – here’s why.
Hannah, or better known on the beach or upon a Race One board as ‘Sculley’ has been far from sitting around.
Sculley has been working upwards of 30 hours a week, training full time at the BMD Northcliffe Surf Lifesaving Club and has just been awarded her Masters of Secondary Education.
WOW.
Yes. WOW.
Miss Sculley, has in fact, been busy.
When we then reiterated Sculley’s off-season she was too, in agreeance that she had been quite busy!
“This off-season's actually been pretty busy yeah,” she laughed, allowing herself to acknowledge the juggle of the past few months.
“I've just finished my last Masters of Secondary Education placement, so now I'm finally done, which is so cool!”
Coming into the trial as one of the more mature women in the sport, Sculley won’t deny that the load of life’sresponsibilities, career, work and training has been tough.
“It’s a pretty big load, trying to train full-time, working around 30 hours a week and doing my assessments on top,” she said.
“It’s just been about managing the load and attempting to fit it all in without getting too tired.”
In true Sculley fashion, ‘it is, what it is’.
“With placement, I’ve missed a little bit of the past five weeks, but that’s done now and although it’s not ideal prep ahead of the trial, it is what it is!”
Indeed, it is what it is - a showdown of the country’s best Ironmen and Ironwomen vying for their spot in the professional series, a weekend of viewing, not to be missed.
For Sculley, the plan is simple.
The crucial training has been done.
The experience is there.
From here, it’s time to build into another huge season of surf sports with her first stop, the Shaw and Partners Iron Series Trial.
“It’s been about getting the work in early,” she said.
“Come race day, knowing that the work is done - I’ll be looking to race with confidence!”
Admitting that her 2024/25 season had over delivered for work she had done, Sculley is 100% all in for the summer ahead.
“Last season I raced but I wasn’t all in, I was underdone for the majority of the season, and I went better than I expected, and better than I deserved if I’m honest,” she said.
“This season, I will be getting the training in, I will be confident in my racing and will be doing all I can to race at a standard that I know I am capable of!”
With less than a week to go.
The nerves begin to linger.
The excitement starts to build.
Miss Sculley has done the paperwork, but will she take a spot in the top 15?
We will find out when the all-star class of trialists is dismissed.