Main photo copyrights: SunshineCoastDaily (Photo of Tiarrn Raymond)

From the North to the South

I grew up in Cairns where we had small waves, crocodiles and deadly jellyfish, but for some reason, I had this absolute love for the beach. At the age of 8 I joined Nippers at Ellis Beach and from there absolutely loved it. As a nipper, I competed at state championships and later Australian championships, and to my surprise, I did quite well for a kid from Cairns. I guess that is part of the reason that I continued with the sport when I finished high school.

My family moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2012 where I trained incredibly hard in a completely different training program to anything else I had done before. After 2 years, I made the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman series; the pinnacle series in our sport. That made me the first Ironwoman from Cairns to compete at that level in our sport. As a student, I definitely wasn’t the smartest. I much rather being outdoors learning or just doing sport, but I was definitely someone who enjoyed trying new things and being outside my comfort zone. As a child, I didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue. I remember enjoying biology and maths in high school and actually got into uni for forensic science. I decided to take a gap year to concentrate on sport, which then turned into 3 years. I believe that was a good choice though as I got to learn more about myself, what I liked and what career may align more with my passions and interests. In 2015, I started University studying a Bachelor of Business, Majoring in Tourism, Leisure and Event Management. Since beginning University, I have completed multiple internships, gained valuable work experience and spent 1 year working for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Coming to the end of my degree, I hope to continue to gain experience that will allow me to continue to learn and find a job that allows me to be involved with my interests and passions but with the knowledge and experience gained from University.

What has been your greatest achievement in your sport?

My greatest achievement in my sport so far would have to be Coolangatta Gold 2019. It was a full field of 20 females and I finished 8^th overall. Although not my best result in a Nutri-Grain race, the amount of work that went into that race over a 20 week period, it was the biggest relief when I finished. In 2018, I won 2 world titles which was pretty special, and in 2019 I finished 2^nd in a Nutri-Grain race and I won an Australian championship. So the past 12 months has been pretty successful. My favourite of all time is winning my Under 11 surf race at state titles. It was unheard of for a kid from Cairns to win a state title.

What do you like about USC? Has the University helped you towards your career goals?

USC has been a great University to be a part of. Every lecturer, tutor and employee that I have been in contact with has been extremely professional and helpful. Being a part of the High-Performance Student Athlete Program has allowed me to have that extra support which again allows me to balance my life, sport and career goals. I also like that USC is all about the community as well. Their presence everywhere to give back to the community or support the community does not go unnoticed.

What advice would you give your year 12 self?

I would tell my year 12 self to continue trying new things, learning and giving everything a go. It is the only way to learn more about yourself and understand what you might want to do in the future. Next, have a plan but be adaptable. You don’t have to stick to your plan as things change, but having direction and wanting to do something is important. Finally, get a job, any job and go from there. You’ll never know what you will take out of that job, who you will meet or where it might take you.