A jubilant Brayden Mercer felt unstoppable as he achieved a surprise victory at the Noosa Triathlon, seven years after his father Dean’s death. Competing on Sunday, the 20-year-old emerged as a popular victor in a strong field, leading from the swim, gaining an advantage on the bike, and managing to fend off Olympians during the 10km run.
Mercer completed the triathlon, consisting of a 15km swim, 40km bike, and 10km run, in an impressive time of 1 hour 43 minutes and 20 seconds. New Zealand’s Tayler Reid finished shortly after, just 38 seconds behind and unwell before crossing the finish line, while Australian Olympian Luke Willian secured third place.
Celebrating with his mother Reen Corbett, a former surf lifesaving champion, and his three brothers, Mercer acknowledged the spiritual presence of his late father, who passed away from a cardiac arrest in 2017. He expressed gratitude for his family’s legacy, stating, ‘Having the Mercer name gives me strength; I felt like I had wings out there.’
In a contrasting event, two-time Olympian Gentle won her 10th consecutive title in the same competition, reflecting on her own journey and expressing happiness for Mercer’s achievement.
