Cory Taylor may shy away from the spotlight, but his Coolangatta Gold credentials are impossible to ignore.
The Bond University alumnus has tackled the gruelling endurance race eight times since his first outing in 2017, hitting the podium on four of those occasions.
This weekend Taylor is aiming to promote himself to the top step, but as one of the oldest in the field, his approach to training and racing has looked a little different to his rivals.
“I started off season training later than the rest of the squad as I did a stint back home in New Zealand,” Taylor said.
“For me at the age of 32, it’s about managing my training load, so I don’t become injured and keeping a balance as when you get older, other things in life become priorities.
“The increased integration of recovery has also been important in keeping the body healthy in trying to reduce the risk of injury.
“My Achilles still plays up and I got a calf strain about seven weeks ago which put me off my legs for a month, but the bike has been my best friend.”
With 11-times Coolangatta Gold champion Ali Day missing from this year’s lineup due to his recent retirement, it’s Taylor’s best chance yet of claiming an elusive Gold title.
Last year, Surf Lifesaving Australia reduced the total distance of the race from 42 kilometres to 25 kilometres.
It has injected a new level of urgency into the race.
“There is no letting off the pace with the new course and any mistake can be more costly than previous years,” Taylor said.
“In the past if you made a mistake, you still had hours to get back into the race and feel good again, but the shorter format does not let that happen.
“The runs in between are brutal and it’s also difficult to juggle the intake of nutrition too.
“I think the approach is just about staying out of trouble at the start and making sure all the candles are not burnt by the last run.”
Also lining up on Saturday will be Bond alumni Joe Collins and Cyra Bender, as well as 2025 ADCO scholar Jasmine Rayward.
Taylor’s training partner and fellow kiwi Collins came third in the 2022 edition of the event and will be hoping to crack the podium once more.
On the women’s side, Rayward and Bender will be looking to open their Shaw and Partners Iron Series campaigns in style, with the Gold acting as the opening leg.
Action will get underway this Saturday from 10.35am at Coolangatta Surf Lifesaving Club.