Surf Life Saving Australia and Royal Life Saving Society – Australia are pleased to announce the re-appointment of Australian Lifesaving Team (ALT) National Open Coach, Zayne Hamill and Australian Youth Lifesaving Team (AYLT) National Youth Coach, Craig Holden, in the lead up to the Lifesaving World Championships 2026 campaign.
Zayne Hamill returns as ALT National Open Coach off the back of the successful campaign at the 2024 World Championships. An SLSA Performance Coach, Zayne started coaching through his love for the sport and helping people. The Surfers Paradise SLSC Coach counts Shaw and Partners Ironwoman Champion, Lucy Derbyshire, among his coaching charges, as well as Shaw and Partners Ironman guns, Ali Day and Finn Askew.
“Representing your country is the greatest honour in sport and I am proud to have this opportunity,” Zayne said on his re-appointment as ALT National Open Coach. “I enjoyed working with our fantastic athletes and support team for the 2024 World Championship campaign and can’t wait for 2026.”
Zayne said he is looking forward to sharing the ups and downs of competition and seeing the athletes give it their all for Australia and the special moments that come alongside that.
“The people in and around the team, those that support it and the many members that it represents, are the key to success. It takes a village and anyone who contributes to life saving in this country also shares in the achievements of this team.
“I’m excited to be part of this journey and everything it brings,” he said.
Defending their World Title is the key performance goal for the team leading up to the Lifesaving World Championships in 2026.
“The process will include reviewing and connecting with our purpose and values, looking at our strengths and weaknesses to ensure we continue to improve, engaging the best people and providing the best possible environment,” Zayne said. “The intention is to win both in and out of competition.”
Re-appointed National Youth Coach, Craig Holden, said he is honoured and grateful to once again be appointed to coach an Australian Team.
The veteran coach has a wealth of experience behind him, including over ten years’ experience as an ALT coach, over 20 years’ experience delivering Level 1 and 2 surf coach courses for Surf Life Saving Queensland, and is currently a coach at Elliott Heads SLSC in QLD. Accredited in 1992, Craig was named SLSQ’s Coach of the Year in 2017 and was awarded Surf Life Saving Australia’s 25-Year Coaching Service Award in 2018.
“I’m proud to wear the green and gold and mentor the next group of youth athletes,” Craig said. “I’m excited for what lies ahead in terms of the strength and depth of our next crop of youth athletes, but also for the opportunities that lie ahead between now and Worlds for international racing experience.
“For me, as the Youth Coach, it is always exciting to get to work with an almost completely new batch of young athletes over the next 18 months in the lead-up to World Championships. It is a chance to educate and mentor a new group of athletes about World Championships and how it is so different to other events and expose them to the ALT culture and values.
“It is also an exciting time that lies ahead with the amount of international racing opportunities available, especially with the Youth Team once again racing at the ISRC, which we have not raced at since 2019 in South Africa.
Craig said there are a variety of elements behind the Australian Life Saving Team’s success.
“We have a great team culture and belief in our team values. We take the time to educate the next crop of athletes and the new athletes as to what a World Championships is about and what the ALT system is about. We have a tremendous depth of athletes to choose from. We have an experienced, highly skilled and credentialled support team of coaches, managers and support personnel. We leave no stone unturned during our planning and preparation for a World Championships. And we focus on the team to allow us to get the best out of them and support them to be the best they can whilst assisting the team to be the best it can,” he said.
“The end goal for the campaign is to become World Champions and retain our title, but more importantly, it is about mentoring the next group of youth athletes coming through, educating them about the World Championships, exposing them to the ALT culture and values, exposing them to international racing opportunities, and creating team camaraderie and spirit,” he said.
The 2026 Worlds Campaign for these coaches and the broader team will include an international and domestic racing calendar, which will create meaningful racing and developmental opportunities in 2025 which will assist them to perform in 2026 for the World Champs.
This year five international tours are planned for the ALT. Support nominations will soon open to support the team and Selection Guidelines for 2025 tours and 2026 World Championships will soon be published.
