In a stunning display of talent and determination, a nine-year-old from the Illawarra has claimed a national title, flying the flag alone for his small local surf club.
A Solo Mission with a Golden Result
Van Clark, aged just nine, was the only athlete sent to represent the Woonona Surf Life Saving Club Nippers at the recent national championships in Manly. Competing against competitors from much larger clubs, the youngster secured a spectacular victory, taking home the gold medal in the under-9s beach swim.
"It was pretty unexpected," Van admitted, recounting a race that didn't start perfectly. "At the start, I was going to the wrong buoy. I went to the side I wasn't supposed to go on, and then I saw everyone on the other side, so I started going to their side, but I was still in front."
The Challenge of the Small Club Spirit
Representing a modest, volunteer-run club presented a unique set of challenges. Van noted the disparity in training schedules compared to the powerhouse clubs he faced. "It was really hard," he said. "Some of the big clubs train every weekend, but [Woonona] only trains once a fortnight."
The family's connection to Woonona SLSC runs deep. Van's mother, Morgan Clark, explained that her own family had driven 45 minutes to participate in nippers when she was a child. For her, the primary draw was water safety education for her sons. "I just wanted my boys to be confident in the water and be able to understand where a rip was," Clark said. "It was never about joining for the competition, that's like a nice bonus, but just the education really is just the best."
Community Support and Sportsmanship Shine
In a gesture that highlighted the camaraderie of the surf lifesaving community, the hosting Manly club—one of Australia's largest—invited Van to train with them in the days leading up to the competition. "I'd never really heard of Manly before, but mum kept saying they were one of the best clubs in Australia," Van said.
The entire Clark family was on hand to witness Van's golden moment. His mother confessed, "I did close my eyes when he swam the wrong way at first. But he's so much braver than I ever would be." Her pride, however, extended far beyond the win itself.
"At the end, Van was there shaking everyone's hand and giving them fist bumps and congratulating them on how they went," Clark shared. "That one thing you can't teach ... and I think that's what made me really proud."
The victory not only brought gold back to Woonona but also put the tight-knit Illawarra club on the map. By the end of the event, as Morgan Clark put it, everyone knew about 'that small club, Woonona.'
