Central Coast Mariners Strength & Conditioning Coach Brice Johnson has spent a huge amount of his life on the beach and says it is an honour for the Mariners to trade their colours on Sunday.
Central Coast Mariners Strength & Conditioning Coach Brice Johnson has spent a huge amount of his life on the beach and says it is an honour for the Mariners to trade their colours on Sunday.
On Sunday the Mariners will acknowledge the tireless efforts of Surf Life Saving Central Coast (SLSCC) by trading Yellow & Navy for a football take on the iconic red and yellow patrol uniforms this Sunday against Brisbane Roar.
Johnson was inducted into the Surf Life Saving Australia Hall of Fame in 2011 and knows better than most how valuable Surf Life Savers are to the Coast. Before joining the Mariners, Johnson led a successful career in beach sprinting where he was crowned a World Beach Sprint Relay Championship Winner in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Living on the Coast for almost 30 years, Johnson and his young family enjoy our beautiful beaches and spoke about the role Surf Life Savers play in our local community.
“My mum and dad always said that if you want to live the lifestyle on the beach, that we’re all lucky enough to have around here, that I need to learn how to survive in the water,” Johnson said.”
The former beach sprinter also recognised the amount of selfless volunteer hours that are spent patrolling our beaches to keep them safe for everyone to enjoy.
“Growing up I spent every weekend at the beach whether it was just to have fun or through my Surf Life Saving career. The great thing about surf lifesaving is that it’s one of the only sports where you need to give a designated amount of time to the community before you can compete.
“The impact that Surf Life Savers have on the Central Coast community is massive. Now that I have a family of my own it’s great to know that I have surf life savers watching over us which is very comforting,” Johnson said.
There are only two occasions that the Mariners trade their traditional colours and Johnson says that it sends a huge statement to not just the Coast but the Australian football audience.
“For the Central Coast Mariners to be wearing Surf Life Saving colours is the perfect fit. Our club proudly represents this beautiful area and for us to be able to promote Surf Life Saving is fantastic, the kits look great and this is something that is very close to my heart.
“For me, the colours of a football club are so important because they represent who you are and to give that up is a big thing,” Johnson said. “But for an initiative such as this I think it’s well worth it,” Johnson said.
Match Details
Hyundai A-League 2016/17 – Round 11
Sunday 18 December 2016
Central Coast Mariners vs. Brisbane Roar
Venue: Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
Kick-off: 5:00pm (AEDT)
Tickets: CLICK HERE
Official hash-tags: #CCMvBRI & #CCMFC
TV Broadcast: Fox Sports 505
Radio Broadcast: 96.3 Coast FM
