Trinca's risks reap reward

As a Surf Lifesaver, Morgan Trinca is trained to move toward danger when others are fleeing from it.

When a life is on the line, years of preparation narrow into one decisive moment - where instinct, discipline and composure make all the difference.

These lessons learnt in the ocean have set Trinca up perfectly for her next chapter.

This week, the Southport Surf Lifesaving Club member graduates from Bond University with a Bachelor of Actuarial Science.

A discipline that involves evaluating risk and applying probability to predict future trends, professionals must work calmly under pressure and constantly adjust to an ever-changing environment.

Trinca knows her experience working in the high stakes of Surf Lifesaving gives her a leg up in the highly competitive field she has chosen.

“As a lifesaver, every patrol is completely different and unpredictable,” Trinca said.

“The ocean has taught me how to prioritise and prevent risks but also to understand that many situations are inevitable.

“Knowing how to accept when something has gone wrong, to learn from it and move forward being better prepared for next time is so valuable as both a lifesaver and an actuary.”

Alongside patrolling commitments, Trinca has excelled in the competition side of lifesaving.

Last season, she claimed world championship silver and bronze in the open board rescue and board races respectively.

The discipline honed over years of gruelling training has proved invaluable in her six-month inventory management internship.

“Because a lot of my team is interstate, it's a very self-driven internship,” Trinca said.

“I’ve had to make sure that I'm onto my work without having someone who is in person in the office with me watching over my shoulder.

“I’ve had to develop soft skills, like reaching out to my team and keeping updated…just really learning to self-manage.”

Gold Coast born and bred, Trinca’s motivation for studying at Bond was the opportunity to study a niche degree alongside a diverse array of students.

She’s made lifelong interstate and international friends in her three years of study, some of whom she’ll reconnect with when she travels to Europe upon completing her internship.

“Bond was one of the very few universities in Australia to offer Actuarial Science which was a major draw card,” she said.

“I also knew there would be an incredible opportunity to expand my social circle to include unique individuals from all walks of life.

“Once I finish my internship in August, I’m going to Europe for three months, and I’ll be visiting some of my international friends when I travel to Norway and Germany.”

But the holiday won’t be too indulgent.

With the challenge of juggling full-time work with an intense training load a learning curve now in the rear vision mirror, Trinca has her sights set on a big summer of racing.

“When I started my internship in December, it was a very busy time for Surf Lifesaving, and it was a challenge trying to juggle the two,” she said.

“Now I am really onto my scheduling for the week, and I’ve learnt not to procrastinate because I don’t have time to.

“I really want to have a solid season this year, so I'm going to keep fit while I'm over in Europe and when I come back, lock in for the State and Australian Championships.”

With a new chapter on the horizon, Trinca says memories from her time at Bond with stay with her long after graduation.

“There are so many different words I could use to describe my time at Bond,” she said.

“I’ve really thrown myself into every experience and looking back on it now, I wouldn't change a single thing.

“Everyone I've met has been so incredibly passionate about their career path and so driven.

“It’s just compounding – it motivates me to be the best I can be in my sport and career.”