Bull Shark Alyssa Bailey might have an identical twin with sister Claudia, but it’s fellow Bondy Jasmine Rayward whose life most closely resembles her own – right down to the silver medals hanging around their necks.
The two Gold Coasters grew up in surf sports, made the transition to kayaking in their late teens and study a Bachelor of Commerce together at Bond University.
Now they have teamed up in the same boat to clinch the silver medal in the K4 500m at last week's ICF U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships.
For Rayward, the 2025 ADCO Sports Excellence Scholarship recipient, the silverware caps off the kayaking season before she transitions back into the surf where she’ll compete in the Shaw and Partners Iron Series for the third year in a row.
It was Bailey’s first international medal, and she credits it to her decision to stop juggling kayaking and surf sports to focus solely on her paddling.
“At the start of this year I made the decision to fully commit to kayaking,” Bailey said.
“Before that I was juggling swimming, surf lifesaving, and kayaking which definitely kept me on my toes.
“Being able to focus entirely on kayaking and joining a program dedicated to developing me as an athlete really made a difference and was key to helping me achieve the silver medal at the World Championships.
“This is my first medal on the world stage, so it’s a really special moment.”
Bailey and Rayward started their paddling careers together during COVID-19 and were teammates in the Australian crew that finished fourth at the 2023 World Championships in Auronzo.
“It’s great to see the progress since then and to feel like the years of hard work are starting to pay off,” Baileysaid.
“It was incredibly special to share the podium with Jas.
“We started our paddling journey together at Currumbin Creek, so it’s been pretty cool growing side by side in the sport.
“To end up on a world championships podium together feels like a full-circle moment and one we’ll definitely remember for a long time!”
Bond’s medal tally didn’t stop there. Bachelor of Business student and Paris Olympics silver medallist Pierre van der Westhuyzen took home bronze in his individual K1 500m event.
Alyssa’s sister, 2024 ADCO Sports Excellence Scholarship recipient Claudia Bailey, and Bond Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) student Dylan Littlehouse will join van der Westhuyzen for the final hit-out of the paddling season at the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan in late August.