Sport
17 November, 2025
Ironwoman is her goal
CAIRNS Surf Lifesaving Club’s Lauren Baldwin has been named under-15 age champion and selected for the Queensland Country Team following the Mackay North Aussies Surf Lifesaving Championship.
“It was very surprising and I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Ms Baldwin said.
And all the guys were really nice and cheering for me. And it just felt like all my achievements paid off,” she said.
In the lead-up to the competition, Ms Baldwin adhered to a rigorous training schedule.
“It was hectic, training every day, sometimes twice a day, early mornings, board training, swimming and running. But it was all worth it,” she said.
Ms Baldwin said the most challenging part of the competition was pushing through the physical strain of the races.
“Probably, like, the middle of a race, when you feel like giving up and like your arms are sore, your legs are sore and you’re just like, ‘oh my God, I want to be done,’ but you just got to fight through it and know that you’ve trained for this.”
A standout moment for Ms Baldwin was the 50m mannequin carry pool rescue event, where she unexpectedly won a gold medal.
“I just remember running it to my dad and giving him a big hug,” she said.
Ms Baldwin credited her club, teammates and coaches with helping her develop as an athlete.
“It’s helped me improve by, like, a lot of teammates supporting me and through all the trainings and the coaches being really nice.”
Looking ahead, Ms Baldwin hopes to compete as a Nutri-Grain Ironwoman on the Gold Coast.
“That’s a dream when I’m older and when, if I move to the Gold Coast, I would really, really like to do that,” she said.
Ms Baldwin’s achievements highlight Cairns Surf Lifesaving Club’s strong youth program and dedication to developing talented athletes.
The club’s president, Tony Hannan and coach, Alastair Yeabsley, said they were proud of all members who competed and earned selection to the Queensland Country Team.
