PROFILE - Making a splash

After years of Surf Lifesaving, Mortgage Choice broker Kylie Broad now shares her professional life with a love of competitive kayaking.

WHEN SHE isn’t writing home loans, Mortgage Choice broker Kylie Broad can be found up a creek – with a paddle.

The young broker has been kayaking for just over three years, and recently returned from an overseas trip with the under 23 Australian team.

It was a successful tour, with Ms Broad winning a total four medals over two competitions: one gold and three silver medals.

After a month overseas the team returned with 19 gold medals, 15 silver and 10 bronze medals.

The team raced in Slovakia and Germany, with some training in Italy in between.

“That was my first trip overseas, so hopefully I’ll be able to make the under 23 team next year,” Ms Broad says.

Her passion for the open water began at an early age.

Growing up on the sandy shores of Perth lent itself to a certain Australian pastime.

“I did surf lifesaving since I was seven, and still paddle surf-skis and still do quite a lot of surfing,” she says.

“But kayaking is just a little bit more competitive.

“You can travel the world with kayaking, whereas surf lifesaving is mainly based in Australia.”

Ms Broad mainly competes in sprint events; 1000 meters is the longest, but most races are 500 meters or 200 meters.

Making the leap from surf lifesaving was an easy transition, particularly as her current kayaking coaches are family friends.

“They tried to get me into it for quite a while, and then eventually they got me down there and I became part of a national talent identification group, so I sort of kept training with that,” she says.

BALANCING ACT

Ms Broad has been a Mortgage Choice broker for just over a year, and in that time has managed to balance a gruelling training schedule with the demands of a busy franchise.

“We train on the water five mornings a week and two afternoons, and then three gym sessions as well,” she says.

So how does she manage to fit it all in?

“It’s not too bad,” she says.

“Obviously mortgage broking does have flexible hours, especially in the office, so I can come in when I need to and leave when I need to get to training as well as working clients in around that. “It does become a bit of a juggling act at times.”