Collins hails from an area where the early ancestors were referred to as the “people of the mountains”, so when it comes to celebrated New Zealand sporting prowess, it is not surprising that surf lifesaving doesn’t spring to top of mind.

But Kiwis have been world leaders in this community sport, triumphing over their more fancied Aussie rivals in three of the past four International Lifesaving Championships … and surf Ironman Collins, is well-placed to add his name to NZ’s list of potential world beaters.

In his debut season in the 2020/21 Nutri-Grain series, Collins announced his arrival in no uncertain terms, holding his own in a top flight field and beating many seasoned veterans to finish in overall third place. He capped off an unstoppable 2021 taking out the Under 19 Australian Ironman title.

Collins’ success has come with sacrifices and a commitment to live and breathe his mantra to “work hard and believe in yourself to become your best self” both on and off the water.

He cut his teeth in the surf Ironman arena as a teenager in Taranaki and after heralding his potential taking out the Under 14 New Zealand title, he relocated to the “Hollywood” home of Ironman, Queensland’s Gold Coast, to chase his surf sports dream.

Not satisfied just to challenge himself in the highly competitive surf arena, Collins is also studying for a Bachelor of Commerce at Bond University, combining the grind of text books with a gruelling three-session-a-day surf Ironman training regime.