PM's Bodyguard - Rachel's Fit To Serve

The powerhouse puts her life on the line for our leader

- Steve Landells

Whether she’s paddling in the ocean as one of the world’s top surf ski racers or protecting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as part of her security detail, Rachel Clarke is a human dynamo who leads a life that’s exhausting to even think about!

As her oars slice through the harbour on her way to racking up 100km each week, this high achieving Auckland woman says putting in the hard yards is a necessary sacrifice to make her dreams come true.

“I’m very motivated and have many goals,” explains Rachel, 29. “I plan my training around my work and just have to stick to that plan. I do what I need to, but I also find the time to rest.”

Born and raised in Red Beach on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast, Rachel describes herself as a “water baby” from the very moment her parents introduced her to surf lifesaving as a five-year-old nipper.

Quickly developing into a skilled surf lifesaver and boasting a fiercely competitive spirit, she also went on to win national age-group medals as a swimmer.

She was even snapped up by High Performance Sport New Zealand after she took up kayaking, but racing in a surf ski – a longer, thinner version of a kayak – won out in the end.