Harriet Brown and Lizzie Welborn are two formidable forces in the world of professional surf sports who are also making waves in supporting the next generation of female athletes.
At the youthful age of 25, Lizzie Welborn has already etched her name in surf lifesaving history with her exceptional results in the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series. Since bursting onto the scene at just 16 as one of the youngest ever to qualify for the professional series, she has notched up nine Nutri-Grain Series, achieving three top 3 podium finishes to date.
Harriet Brown stands as a beacon of excellence in the sport of surf ironwoman. In a career spanning over 15 years of competition, she won the Nutri-Grain Series twice and clinched world titles in both the Ironwoman and board race categories. Harriet’s impact extends beyond national borders, having proudly represented Australia on numerous occasions, including captaining the victorious Australian Team at the 2018 Lifesaving World Championships. Announcing her retirement from the Nutri-Grain Series at the end of the 2024 season, she has set a high bar for those who follow.
“I'm 33 now and have been racing in the professional Ironwoman series for 15 years. It has been awesome, but it's taken over my life. I really love exercising and keeping fit, but I just know that my body and mind need a break from being in that athlete mentality mindset as well.”
Lizzie’s and Harriet’s shared passion for surf lifesaving goes above and beyond as they also enjoy dedicating hours to mentoring and coaching the next generation of young surf athletes.
“Through our professional sporting careers, we've inspired a generation of nippers, helped young girls stay in the sport and have been role models for the girls coming through as well,” Lizzie said.
“I think that’s an achievement that will always outshine the results on the podium for me.”
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Taking their passion for inspiring the next generation to a new level, in 2022 Harriet and Lizzie launched KaMana Community with tailored workshops and programs supporting young female athletes. They’re on a mission to educate and support female athletes so they can be strong and confident in their skin, chase their dreams and reach their full potential in sports and life.
“When we first started and came up with the idea for KaMana, I don't think that even we realised the extent of what girls were struggling with,” said Harriet who’s a qualified exercise physiologist as well as a professional athlete.
“From our own experience, we saw that there were so many things relevant to female athletes that were never spoken about or not spoken about enough. So that’s why we created our series of four workshops on body confidence, female athlete health and understanding your menstrual cycle, nutrition and performance mindset.”
Building on their knowledge as professional athletes, Harriet and Lizzie have dedicated many hours to understanding the female body and sharing their insights.
Since starting KaMana Community, the pair have presented to more than 1800 girls and young women from sporting clubs, associations and schools across the country, both in person and online.
“Something that really shocked me is that 92% of the girls we polled anonymously at our workshops don’t like the way they look and wish they could change something about how they look,” Harriet revealed.
“These are girls who are super sporty, they’re chatty, they’re out there and so generally you would think they would be really comfortable and confident in themselves. But they’re not.
“Letting young girls know that they're not alone and they can seek help is so important and empowering. Particularly with so many male coaches and many sports being dominated by men, it makes those conversations even harder for them.
“It’s been really encouraging to know that we are on the right track of talking about these topics because no one else is talking about this kind of thing.”
Lizzie and Harriet are immensely grateful to for the support they have received from the Minerva Network.
The business partners agreed that being part of Minerva has helped empower them to reach for their goals.
“Knowing that we can be part of Minerva and get connected with mentors to help with things like sponsorship, connections and starting businesses, it is an incredible opportunity,” Lizzie said. “I think for me one of the most beneficial things that’s come from joining Minerva was realising that it's OK to lean on others for help and to reach out for support.
“It was the inspiration and encouragement I got from Minerva that inspired me to reach out to another mentor who helped Harriet and I get our funding to start KaMana and I don’t think I would have had the confidence to do that without Minerva.
“It’s an amazing community of support and encouragement for women, no matter what stage of your career you’re at or what your goals might be.”
Harriet also credits Minerva with expanding her network of support.
“The Minerva Network has made us realise that there are so many connections out there and people are willing and happy to help us. I think previously I would have been feeling like I was a hindrance if I was to ask someone for help or advice. But I've now realised that if you do it in the right way, people are so willing to help, and that's been a really nice”
“My mentor Lee Brentzell has been so helpful. We sometimes meet regularly and sometimes when I’m focused on racing we don’t meet for a little while, which is perfectly fine.
“When I first met Lee I had so many different things going on and felt stressed because I wanted to do them all but couldn’t work out how to fit everything in. She helped me focus and direct my energy into doing the things I’m really passionate about and that align with my values, rather than just doing things because someone asks me to. That’s been an absolute game changer.”
As well as being an experienced business leader and engineering professional, Harriet’s mentor Lee is a director on the Auscycling board and the former chair of Mountain Bike Australia. So the pair share a love of competitive sport and very busy calendars.
“Harriet is so energetic and passionate and I get a lot of joy in seeing her shine,” Lee said.
“I feel very lucky to have been matched with Harriet and I learn just as much as she does. I love taking time out to focus on Harriet which ends up being a good reminder for me to take time out to focus on myself as a person too.
“Athletes are under so much pressure in their athletic life and often have self-doubt about how they will translate into life outside sport. They also have lots of competing priorities.
“Harriet has been able to use me as a sounding board, to bounce things off me as an independent, objective source when she couldn’t talk to others in her circle who either had vested interests or a lack of knowledge and experience.
“As a mentor, I asked lots of questions and listened. With this guidance, Harriet has been able to clarify her goals, take control and focus on the things that bring her the most joy, pay the bills and positively elevate her brand, rather than her trying to do absolutely everything that came her way, which she couldn’t humanly do.
“I do get a sense of pride in seeing her excel in her personal and professional life, knowing that I have been part of that in the background. I know Harriet will do well and I’m proud to see what she’s accomplishing with KaMana and across other areas of her life.”
Author: Maddi McGirr
Editor: Louise Sturgess
