Dean Paul Mercer (24 November 1969 – 28 August 2017) was an Australian sportsman who competed in

ironman Iron Man, Ironman or Ironmen may refer to: *Nathaniel "Iron Man" Avery (1939–1985), American caddie for Arnold Palmer *Travis Fulton (1977–2021), American mixed martial arts fighter *Gunnar Graps (1951–2004), Estonian musician *Mick Murphy ...

events.

Career

Mercer was born in Bulli and raised in

Thirroul Thirroul () is a northern seaside suburb of the city of Wollongong, Australia. Situated between Austinmer and Bulli, it is approximately 13 kilometres north of Wollongong, and 73 km south of Sydney. It lies between the Pacific Ocean and ...

, both suburbs of Wollongong. Early in his career, Mercer and his brother Darren were coached by their father, John. Mercer became a professional ironman at 15 and competed from 1987 to 2010. He won the Australian open ironman titles in 1989 and 1995, and five New South Wales championships. In 1997 he won the World Oceanman series. He competed in his last Coolangatta Gold aged 40. In 1992, Mercer was awarded the

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(OAM) for "service to surf lifesaving", and in 1990 was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions at

Sydney Olympic Park Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb of Greater Western Sydney, located 13 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta Council. It is commonly known as Olympic Park but officially na ...

. At the time of his death Mercer was director of surf sports, and

nippers Nippers are young surf lifesavers, usually aged between 5 and 14 years old, in clubs across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Unlike senior surf lifesavers, the majority of them do not patrol the beaches. The focus for Nippers tends t ...

coach, at Kurrawa Surf Club at

Broadbeach, Queensland Broadbeach is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Broadbeach had a population of 5,514 people. Geography Development in the area today mostly incorporates low rise structures, consisting of single bedroom house ...

a position he held since October 2014.

Private life

Born on 24 November 1969 to Maureen and John Mercer, Mercer grew up in

Thirroul, New South Wales Thirroul () is a northern seaside suburb of the city of Wollongong, Australia. Situated between Austinmer and Bulli, it is approximately 13 kilometres north of Wollongong, and 73 km south of Sydney. It lies between the Pacific Ocean and ...

. Mercer married Kaylene Costello in 1998. In 2003, he married Reen Corbett, an ironwoman competitor in her own right. They later had four boys. In 2013, a magistrates court ordered Mercer to repay almost $700 after stealing bedsheets from a department store. No conviction was recorded. Mercer died after suffering a

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

while driving at

Mermaid Waters Mermaid Waters is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mermaid Waters had a population of 12,045 people. Geography Mermaid Waters is primarily a residential suburb, featuring many homes built along artificial ca ...

on 28 August 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer, Dean 1969 births 2017 deaths Australian surf lifesavers Sportspeople from the Gold Coast, Queensland Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia