Phil Clayton

2000 World Ironman Champion Phil Clayton's long list of sporting achievements is testament to an enduring career spanning over 20+ years. As the winner of numerous Kellogg's Nutri Grain and Uncle Toby's Professional Ironman races, he is widely recognised for his fun and charismatic approach to racing.

Phil has an innate ability to relate to people and teach them how to read and feel the surf. With Phil's experience as a professional Ironman and as a confident and passionate communicator, it was a natural transition for Phil to step into a coaching role within Surf Life Saving. His coaching career began with a position as Head Coach at Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club. Over a seven-year period, his young chargers won a total of 54 Australian Gold medals under his guidance.

Phil has successfully passed on his skills and experience to thousands of others. Phil has had the opportunity to coach the Australian Youth Development Surf Life Saving Team and the QLD State Surf Life Saving Team, and has also been involved with the Australian Open Water Team, as well as Triathlon Australia.
With the development of his company, Phil Clayton & Co., Phil's vision is to work personally with enthusiastic people looking to expand their knowledge and confidence in the ocean.

Racing Career
• Professional Ironman from 1992 to 2004
• Winner of 11 Uncle Toby's Ironman Races
• 2000 – World Ironman Champion
• 2011 – Australian Open Belt Championship

Coaching Career
• Head Coach Kurrawa Surf Club from 2006 to 2013
• 2010 Queensland Surf Life Saving Coach of the Year
• Surf Life Saving Australia Athlete Representative from 2010 to 2015
• Australian Olympic Committee Representative for Open Water at the Rio Olympics
• Burleigh Heads Surf Club Head Coach from 2018 to present

Innes Larkin

Innes Larkin has been active in the outdoors since an early age and remembers climbing Mt Barney for the first time at age 11. A trained teacher with a Masters of Arts in Outdoor Education, Innes has taught in London, Brisbane and at an outdoor education centre at Maroon Dam.

Innes and his wife Tracey have been managing Mt Barney Lodge since 2003. During his time at the Lodge, Innes has been involved in many rescues including once getting winched from a helicopter to rescue four climbers, stuck on the cliffs of Mt Lindesay. A current member of the community advisory committee for the Gondwanan Rainforests of Australia World Heritage property, Innes is passionate about sustainable tourism and the lasting legacies that the ecotourism industry can bring to a region.

Benita Willis

“Benita Willis is without doubt, Australia’s greatest female distance runner.” Sam Burke, runnerstribe.com

Benita is a multiple National champion, world championship and holder of eleven current Australian records for distances ranging from the 2,000m to Marathon.

In 2004, Benita achieved what is arguably one of the greatest victories in Australian athletics history when she became the first and only Australia to win the World Cross Country Championships, arguably the hardest race in the world.

Benita was inducted into the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame in 2018. Benita is passionate about helping people get fit, healthy and happy, particularly through running.

Benita managed the running program at the Boulder Centre for Sports Medicine in Boulder, Colorado, a training hub for many of the worlds’ best athletes. Now, back at home on the Gold Coast, Benita is sharing her knowledge and experience via enjoyable programs that get people running and running well.

Benita has a degree in Human Movement, post graduate qualifications in Sports Nutrition, holds a Certificate IV in Personal Training and over 15 years coaching experience as an IAAF accredited Level 3 middle to long distance coach.

In addition to all of the above, Benita is the director of ‘Qrun’ – the recreational arm of Queensland Athletics, a Board Member of Events Management Queensland (organiser of the Gold Coast Marathon) and a member of the IAAF Athletes’ Commission.