Coogee Shark Attack Hero Charlie Verco Wins World Paddleboard Championship

Australian paddleboard champion Charlie Verco has won one of the world’s toughest ocean endurance races, just weeks after helping rescue a woman following a shark attack at Sydney’s Coogee Beach.

The 24-year-old volunteer lifeguard and Sydney-based athlete won his fourth consecutive Moloka’i 2 O’ahu Paddleboard World Championships title on Sunday. He completed the 52-kilometre crossing between the Hawaiian islands in just four hours, 18 minutes, and three seconds.

Verco’s time surpassed the previous record set by Australian Matt Bevilacqua in 2019 by three minutes. He achieved the milestone while navigating large swells and strong winds linked to Category One Hurricane Fausto, which approached the Hawaiian Islands during the event.

Navigating the Dangerous “Channel of Bones”

The Kaiwi Channel, known as the “Channel of Bones”, challenged almost 100 competitors from around the world with rough ocean conditions, strong currents, and abundant marine life, including sharks and jellyfish. Verco encountered a two-metre hammerhead shark during the race, though apparently he remained rather unfazed.

“Small hammerheads are kind of cute,” he told reporters after the race.

Speaking after crossing the finish line at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki, Verco said he felt physically and mentally stronger than ever after the race.

“I’m so stoked, it’s so incredible,” Verco said. “I’ve never felt so good in body and mind after the race.”

Verco credited years of preparation for his win, saying he trained two to three times a day, six days a week, ahead of the championship. Among his favourite marine training grounds were the Northern Beaches and Sydney’s Eastern Suburb beaches.

The victory follows Verco’s heroic actions in June, when he helped rescue Leah Stewart. Stewart, a Sydney mother, had been attacked by a shark between the flags at Coogee Beach. Fortunately, Verco had been training and was able to help bring Leah to shore safely thereafter.

Verco said that, for him, the incident reinforced the importance of respecting the ocean.

“I’m hoping Leah is doing alright,” Verco said, “and I feel incredibly grateful that I get to have an experience like this in the ocean.”