Born: 28 February 1975 Southport, Queensland, Australi
Karla Gilbert's record speaks for itself. Karla was born and bred on the Gold Coast and is an instantly recognisable sporting icon.
She has won back to back world Iron woman championships (2000 and 2002), seven consecutive Iron woman series wins (1996-2002), sixteen Australian championships, seven Queensland titles and numerous other championship events.
There is absolutely no doubt of her dominance in the sport throughout the 1990s and early 2000's. Furthermore, through her involvement at the highest level, Gilbert has helped to raise public awareness of surf lifesaving in the community.
Gilbert entered the sport in 1980, when her parents joined her in the Nippers program at Palm Beach. She won her first attempt at a professional iron woman event (the first even professional iron woman race in Australia) ten years later in 1990. She was only fifteen years old.
Events
2003
Inducted into the Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame
