Jessica Jackson and Bridget Brown, two athletes from the Seaspray Surf Club, have been selected for Life Saving Victoria’s Sporting Excellence Program.

Jackson and Brown were among the nine beach competitors and 13 water competitors named to participate in tier two of Life Saving Victoria’s Sporting Excellence Program.

Life Saving Victoria’s Sporting Excellence Program is designed to complement an athlete’s current training with their regular coach and further develop skills by allowing them to train with other top-level athletes and receive coaching from quality coaches outside the athlete’s traditional training program.

Jackson said she was thrilled to be chosen for the program.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to take my training to a new level ahead of the 2022/23 season,” she said.

“We’ll train alongside some of the best beach athletes in Victoria and receive specialist coaching.

“It’s a great privilege to be selected and represent Seaspray in this way.”

Brown said the Seaspray athlete’s involvement in the two-month Sporting Excellence program would take them to Melbourne and Victoria’s Surf Coast.

“There will be some travel involved to other surf clubs, but we are accustomed to travelling long distances to compete,” she said.

“I am really excited to be part of the program to learn from other coaches and to meet up with other athletes from across the state who are just as passionate about life saving sports as we are.”

Seaspray Surf Club president Chris Fleming said Jessica and Bridget were outstanding Seaspray Surf Club members.

“Jess and Bridget have been members at the club for many years and are among a group of exceptional young leaders,” he said.

“Both women have trained incredibly hard to achieve their athletic success, but you will also see both of them on patrol at the beach and helping out around the club.

“That includes giving their time and energy to guide and encourage our Nippers.”

The pair train under Wellington Athletics’ Denis Huffer, and Jackson also trains with the Anglesea Surf Life Saving Club’s Beach Team.

Athletes were required to place in the top 20 at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships earlier this year to qualify for selection for tier two of Life Saving Victoria’s Sporting Excellence Program.

Athletes were also judged on their results at the Victorian Open Championships, their interstate carnival results over the 2021/22 season and their standing as a member of their life saving club.

Eighteen athletes were selected for the tier one program.

The selection was based on results as medallists or top 10 place-getters at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, interstate carnivals and the Victorian Open Championships over the past three seasons.

Jackson placed among Australia’s top 10 Open Female Beach Flags athletes after competing at the April 2022 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast.

Brown was among the top 20 women in the nation in both the Under 19 and the Open Female Beach Flags.

She won Silver in the Under 19 Women’s Sprint at the Victorian Surf Lifesaving Championships in March and, together with Jackson, won Bronze in the Open Women’s Beach Relay.

In January, Jackson represented Victoria at the Super Surf Teams League at North Bondi, winning Bronze in the beach flags event.