INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN - NAOMI SCOTT
Take us back to the start … how did your surf lifesaving career begin?
I actually have my brother to thank for that one. His mates needed a 4th person for a swim team at Queensie surf club and so Mum and Dad signed me up too as a little U7 nipper. I’ve been in love with it ever since! My professional racing career began the day I turned 17 when I qualified for the Nutri grain series through the summer of surf in 2017. I actually won the final round of that series which was just absolutely insane.
Can you describe a typical training day?
It depends on the day and it’s changed a bit since moving to Northcliffe but I will do 2-3 sessions a day that consists of a combination of swimming, board, ski, running and gym. If I’m working that day too I’ll leave the house at 4:50am and not get home until 6pm so I have to be super prepared the night before.
What motivates you to get out of bed when you your alarm goes off at 4.30am?
Some days getting out of bed is hard and other days I’m ready to get stuck into the day. The thing that motivates me on those harder days is remembering the bigger picture and how much better I feel after a session. I’m a sucker for endorphins. I think it’s also important to note that some days I do sleep in and that is normal and ok! Since having glandular fever in 2019 I’ve learnt how to listen to my body and know when it needs some extra rest and a session off to recover. Again, I look at the bigger picture when making that decision too.
Tell us about your favourite training session and discipline?
My favourite session is swimming. I fell back in love with swimming in 2021 and I have my swim coaches, Cam and Lach, and my old squad at Warringah Aquatic Centre to thank for that. Now I swim at Bond University and I’m really enjoying those sessions with a great crew and awesome coaches Mooney and Kyle.
My favourite discipline to race is the ski. There’s so much chaos - especially when there’s surf - and you have to be able to stay focused and use your skills and speed to get back to the beach first. It’s also something I’ve worked really hard on over the years to improve so I enjoy seeing how far I’ve come.
What achievement are you most proud of?
My World Youth Ironwoman title was pretty special.
Why brought you to sunny Qld?
Moving to the Gold Coast was a lifestyle decision and something I wanted to do to improve my mental health, spend more time with my grandparents and also have a new experience of living out of home in a new city! I’m definitely loving the warmer weather and more relaxed lifestyle but the thing that’s captured my heart the most is the sunsets and sunrises - they’re incredible every single day!
What Kozii do you like to wear?
My go to one piece is the Elite Bind and for bikinis I love the Active and KT tops and the Brea bottoms.
How do you feel when you wear Kozii swimwear?
My Kozii’s make me feel confident and comfortable. Also the colours and prints are all so bright and happy it makes me excited to train because I get to wear such beautiful swimmers!!
What inspired your Posy Blue collaboration?
During lockdown last year I went out and bought some water colours in an attempt to find a hobby to keep me entertained. I played around with blues and oranges because I really loved how the two contrasted each other. I also wanted to keep with the floral theme like the other prints I’ve designed and tulips were easiest for me to paint so that’s how I landed on that. I sent over some drafts to Rachel and she managed to turn it into the beautiful design that is Posy Blue! I think it’s my favourite print I’ve designed yet. I love the creative process of designing swimwear as it helps me tap more into my right brain. I’m a left brain dominant person usually so it’s a nice change.
Any words of wisdom for aspiring Ironwomen?
I love seeing all the young guns coming up through the ranks! It’s so exciting to see the direction our sport is headed in and the courageous and bold young girls that are the future of our sport. My advice would be to become a really good listener. Most people in the surf life saving community love to have a good chat so listen and absorb all the information and stories you are given. Then you can use your judgement to figure out what is useful to you and your journey :)
What does the second half of 2022 hold for you?
I’m not entirely sure which is actually super exciting! Moving to a new place gives me the opportunity to do lots of new and different things which is something to look forward to. I’ll be back at uni next semester and obviously I’ll get back into racing with the Trials and Summer of Surf rounds towards the end of the year but other than that, there’s so much to discover!
- Photography and editing by Leisa Hale
