Dean Mercer

Dean Mercer
OAM
Personal information
Full name Dean Paul Mercer
Nationality Australian
Born (1969-11-24)24 November 1969
Bulli, New South Wales
Died 28 August 2017(2017-08-28) (aged 47)
Gold Coast
Sport
Country Australia
Sport Ironman surf lifesaving

Dean Paul Mercer OAM (24 November 1969 – 28 August 2017) was an Australian sportsman who competed in ironman events.[1][2]

Career

Mercer was born in Bulli and raised in Thirroul, both suburbs of Wollongong.[3] Early in his career, Mercer and his brother Darren were coached by their father, John.[4] Mercer became a professional ironman at 15 and competed from 1987 to 2010. He won the Australian open ironman titles in 1989 and 1995,[2] and five New South Wales championships. In 1997 he won the World Oceanman series.[2] He competed in his last Coolangatta Gold aged 40.[5]

In 1992, Mercer was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "service to surf lifesaving",[6] and in 1990 was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions at Sydney Olympic Park.[2]

At the time of his death Mercer was director of surf sports, and nippers coach, at Kurrawa Surf Club at Broadbeach, Queensland a position he held since October 2014.[5][7]

Private life

Born on 24 November 1969 to Maureen and John Mercer, Mercer grew up in Thirroul, New South Wales.[8][9][2]

Mercer married Kaylene Costello in 1998.[10]

In 2003, he married Reen Corbett, an ironwoman competitor in her own right.[11] They later had four boys.[5]

In 2013, a magistrates court ordered Mercer to repay almost $700 after stealing bedsheets from a department store. No conviction was recorded.[3]

Mercer died after suffering a cardiac arrest while driving at Mermaid Waters on 28 August 2017.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Profile: Dean Mercer". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 February 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Koubaridis, Andrew; Matthey, James (28 August 2017). "High profile former Ironman Dean Mercer dies on the Gold Coast". news.com.au. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Former ironman Dean Mercer in court over pinching sheets". sunshinecoastdaily.com.au. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Condon, Matt (9 October 1988). "Ironmen fight for top honour". The Sun-Herald. John Mercer, father and coach of the Mercer brothers...Undoubtedly the pressure will be on 20-year-old Darren Mercer, of Thirroul, south of Sydney, to defend his title. He and brother Dean, 18, have trained harder than ever.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Former Ironman Dean Mercer dies in car crash on way home from training". ABC News. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  6. ↑ Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) entry for Mercer, Dean Paul, Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, https://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=886232&showInd=true. Retrieved 28 August 2017, "OAM/Aust Day 1992 (General Division. For service to surf lifesaving"
  7. ↑ "Welcome Dean Mercer as Surf Sports Officer". kurrawasurf.com.au. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "The Ones To Watch - Open Males" (PDF). Media Guide Coolangatta Gold. p. 15.
  9. ↑ Brienen, Julee (26 January 1999). "The mighty Dean machine keeps on keeping strong!". The Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Tobin, Glenn (20 April 1998). "Mercer Marries His Sweetheart". The Illawarra Mercury. Ironman champion Dean Mercer has always ridden on the crest of a winning wave and on Saturday it peaked beautifully when he married long-time sweetheart Kaylene Costello.
  11. ↑ Brown, Jenny (5 May 2003). "Dean marries his queen Reen". Woman's Day.
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