Brielle Cooper is a bona fide Surf Live Saving Champion. And a lover of dancing. An odd combination we know....but perfect for a professional Surf Life Saver to add barre to her gruelling schedule. Here is her story...
Tell us about your professional Surf Life Saving life?
I am 18 years old and have been doing surf life saving since I was 8 years old. I began competing at aged 12. Since then I have become heavily involved with the sport and am currently training full time. I have won multiple State and Australian medals, represented QLD and competed in the professional NutriGrain Ironwomen Series early in the year for the first time. Last year I had the opportunity to race against the best in our sport all over Australia. This gave me the opportunity to develop experience within our sport and learn from many different athletes and mentors.
You went from serious ballet training to surf life saving what made you change?
As a young child swimming and dancing were my hobbies. I loved to do anything and everything involved with either. My mornings and afternoons were filled with classes and training sessions every day. I did ballet, jazz, hip hop, aerobics and lyrical. As I grew older I began to become involved in surf life saving I fell in love with the sport and the opportunities it brought. For years I did surf life saving, competitive swimming and dancing. But there came a time where I had to make a decision on what I wanted to 110% commit too and because of my endless love for both the beach and the pool surf lifesaving was my choice. To this day I still miss dancing. That’s why I love coming to barre it gives me the opportunity to be back in the studio and mixing in a little ballet to my program.
What’s your dream for your surf life saving and what drives you?
My ultimate dream for surf life saving is the win the Ironwomen series. What drives me is my love for the sport and my will to win. I enjoy training every day and the opportunities the sport brings. I am always surrounded by positive people who want to see each other succeed which makes each day super exciting.
What’s the hardest part of the sport?
The hardest part about our sport in ensuring you fit all disciplines into one week while ensuring you’re not over training. Within one week we need to cover ski paddling, board paddling, swimming, gym and running.
I enjoy using different muscle groups compared to what I would usually use, stretching out my body and relaxing my mind.
What do you love about Barre?
I love Barre as with such a heavy program I feel as though I’m always rushing and my heart rate is always high. Barre gives me the opportunity to take a breath and really realise what the body is capable of. I enjoy using different muscle groups compared to what I would usually use, stretching out my body and relaxing my mind.
How do you think barre helps with your Surfer Life Saving training and how is it different?
Barre helps to add variety to my surf life saving program. It also helps to target the smaller muscle groups which we don’t get to work on. The core work also significantly helps with stability on the board and ski.
