IT was the thought of who would be waiting for her at the finish line that spurred Jordan Mercer on to win her fifth consecutive Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard World Championship in Hawaii.

The 22-year-old battled the toughest of conditions during the epic race, including headwinds and massive swells, leaving her body “aching” by the end of it.

“I was very emotional crossing the line,” Mercer said after the race.

“I was greeted by my mum and my sister, my dad and my boyfriend. I had my grandparents there too, some close family friends and a lot of loved ones who had made a big family holiday out of this trip to Hawaii. It was on my mind when I was racing — I knew they were going to be there to support me and get me across the line. My aunty was also there and it was playing on my mind when it started to get tougher. I was just thinking about making it back to land and just enjoying having accomplished such a tough challenge and to share it with people who really make it possible for me.”

With Mercer’s head sore and body still throbbing, it was difficult for her incredible achievement to immediately sink in. The race was undoubtedly her toughest one yet and she admits she had to rely on her mindset to keep her motivated.

“I’m in more pain than I have been in any of the previous years,” she said.

“Heading in I was really confident about the preparation I had put in and I knew I’d never been paddling as well as I have been right now. But conditions went from bad to worse.

“I couldn’t get any nice runs with the board and all the things I could have used for a little bit of assistance, I had to work so very hard for.

“Each year you do learn a lot about yourself, you become a better athlete and prepare better, but it never gets any easier.”