Terrigal

Distinguished and Famous people from Terrigal

🛶 Riley Fitzsimmons

Riley Fitzsimmons attended Terrigal High School while growing up in the Central Coast's surf-sport community. His hometown was Avoca Beach, where surf lifesaving led him towards kayaking as a way to improve his surf-ski skills. Fellow club member and Olympic paddler Lachlan Tame helped teach him the discipline. Fitzsimmons went on to represent Australia at Rio, Tokyo and Paris, with a silver medal in the men's kayak four at Paris 2024. Off the water, his training also included a carpentry and construction apprenticeship. The Terrigal link is his schooling within a sporting pathway that began on nearby beaches.

🌊 Paul Lemmon

Paul Lemmon's long surf-sport involvement includes competing, coaching and mentoring at Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club. His achievements brought repeated recognition in masters competition, including NSW Masters Athlete of the Year in 2024. A 2016 parliamentary tribute recorded his ninth consecutive state Ironman and surf-race double. His first aquatic adventure was less controlled: as a toddler he jumped from a jetty and his father had to rescue him, prompting swimming lessons. Lemmon has also worked to make surf sport welcoming to different ages and abilities, including leading a club paddle-out celebrating inclusion at the beach.