Hey everyone, my name is Tayla Halliday. I am 20 years old, and I am a surf Ironwoman apart of the Race One Surf Sports team.
I am based on the Sunshine Coast and train and race with Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club. I have grown up being a part of Alex Surf Club and can’t imagine myself anywhere else. When I first started nippers, it certainly wasn’t a highlight of mine, in fact it was much the opposite, but over the years I grew a love for the sport and have been chasing my dreams ever since.
One of the biggest things I’ve learnt from sport is that much like life, the journey is not linear. The roller coaster is inevitable and there’s nothing you can do to change that.
I’ve recently experienced my biggest dip in the sport I’ve had to date and have now begun my journey on working my way back to the top end of the sport.
I started the 2022/2023 season in the best form I’d ever been in. I began getting my best results to date and felt like the work I’d put in throughout the off season and over the years was paying off. Little did I know a speed bump was just around the corner.
And as many athletes and people do, I got sick. I was hopeful it was just going to be a week where I didn’t feel great, and before I knew it, I’d be back feeling like me. Little did I know that one week of illness was going to force me to cut my season short and take 10 weeks of complete rest. I had to listen to my doctor and coaches and do no exercise apart from walking for 2 and a half months.
After the first 6 weeks I was finally starting to feel like I wanted to get back to training. My energy had started to come back, and my motivation came with it. By week 10 I was itching at the heels to get back in the water and begin training on my new Race One Gear.
I knew getting back into training wasn’t going to be easy, but I have been fortunate enough to have the support of some very special people around me including the entire team at Race One Surf Craft.
Despite experiencing my first real low in my career earlier this year, Race One invited be to be a part of their team and i couldn’t be more grateful for their support. A team more excited and passionate than anyone and a desire to make a difference in the sport we all know and love.
Race One Surf Craft provides athletes with top tier skis, boards, and paddles and I have loved getting to use mine this off-season. A new board, designed by some of the best athletes the sport has ever seen.
A ski with a proven history of allowing athletes like Shannon Eckstein, Georgia Miller and Matt Bevilacqua achieve some, if not all of the best things you can do in our sport. And a paddle used by not only some of the best athletes in surf lifesaving but also some of the best kayakers in the world. It’s safe to say Race One Surf Craft is a force to be reckoned with and this season is sure to show just that.
I can’t wait to continue to build my way back to my best and start racing the 2023/2024 season knowing I get to use the best gear with the support of the whole team behind me.