World Titles For Bevi

The World Life Saving Championships were held on the Gold Coast from 20 August – 8 September, featuring more than 5000 athletes from 50+ nations.

Matt Bevilacqua’s (SVC 2001-08) performances were a standout. He won the World Board title which he had previously won in 2018, teamed with his New Zealand friend, Joe Collins, to win the World Board Rescue title and finished second to fellow Australian, Finn Askew, in the Iron Man event. He also captained the Northcliff Surf Life Saving team which won the World Team Championship.

A 12-year-old Matt Bevilacqua competed in his first Tasmanian team during the swim leg of an Ironman race at Maroubra, in New South Wales.

Matt started at St Virgil’s in Year 3 and graduated in Year 10 in 2008.

At Guilford Young College he achieved a score that would ultimately see him offered a place to study medicine at the University of Tasmania.

However, at 18, Bevilacqua was not ready to give up the sport he so desperately loved to focus solely on study so he strapped his surf ski and board to the roof of his trusty old Hyundai and drove to Queensland where he began training under Mooloolaba coach Michael King.

In addition to the above-listed success, Matt, now 32, has won two Nutri-Grain Iron Man titles, a Coolangatta Gold victory and is a five-time winner of the Molokai to Oahu paddleboard title. 

Matt did go to University. He qualified in Education at Griffiths University with majors in Mathematics and Physical Education and when training/competition permits he works at the Southport School.

One further piece of news - Matt recently became engaged to long-time partner Brielle Cooper. Congratulations to them!