Ski coach Chrissy Outteridge believes 16-year-old Ashlee Seale is paving the way for Fingal Beach Surf Life Saving Club nippers.
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The Corlette teenager has upped the ante in training this season and spent many a cold, winter session on the ski in just the company of her coach as she prepared for the summer.
She is expected to be among the medal contenders in the under-17 female water events when her club hosts the Hunter branch championships on Saturday.
To get there, it has taken extreme dedication and determination to training virtually on her own while most of her rivals have prepared with the regular competition of squads pushing them.
“We’re all really proud of Ashlee because she’s really stepped up and she’s had to do it hard as the only one,” Outteridge said.
“We’ve got her a good program, so the quality is still there in training, but when you’re training in a squad it always helps to have that competition.
“She’s been very determined and she’s an exceptional trainer and very dedicated. We’re hoping she paves the way for more kids to come through the nippers ranks to under-15 and under-17 competition at the club. It’s good for the other kids coming through to see what this young girl from Fingal has done.”
The 16-year-old only started on the ski last year but is already showing promising signs. She made it to the final then finished sixth in tough company when Fingal hosted a round of the elite Summer of Surf series in November.
“I was really happy with that,” Ashlee said of the result.
“I only started on the ski last winter. It was tricky; it takes a little while to get used to it and I’ve definitely fallen off quite a few times.
“But I have been training on that quite a bit and I’ve picked up everything else in training as well.
“I’d like to get a medal at branch then make finals at state [at Blacksmiths next month] but I’ll just see how I go.”
Also leading the home club’s charge on Saturday will be Clint Brown, Craig Burrows, Jason and Dimity Stewart, Kim Westcott and Steve Westcott.