Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I pay tribute to a great Australian, Dean Mercer, who tragically lost his life last week. Dean was not from the community that I represent, but I competed against him for many years and he became a good mate. Dean was quite simply the gutsiest competitor that I ever saw race. Small in stature, but big in heart, he often beat men twice his size through pure guts, determination and hard work.

Dean was born and raised in Thirroul and, with his brother Darren, dominated ironman racing over decades. They made the Mercer name a household name. Dean won two Australian Ironman titles, five New South Wales Ironman titles, a Coolangatta Gold and a World Oceanman Series. In 2014 he was inducted into the New South Wales Sporting Hall of Champions and in 1992 awarded the Order of Australia medal. He competed in his last Coolangatta Gold at the age of 40. In recent years Dean had been passing on his skill and prowess in the surf to younger generations as a teacher of nippers.

Surf lifesaving is a quintessential Aussie sport and last week the sport of surf lifesaving in our nation lost one of its greatest too early. I offer my condolences to his family and, in particular, his brother Darren, his wife Reen and their four young children. Rest in peace, mate.

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