CompTIA Network+ & Rescue Boat Driver Certified

Coming off a fantastic trail running and gravel riding trip in Alice Springs at the back end of August I had the personal goals for six weeks to complete the next step in a cybersecurity upskilling pathway and prepare to race as an age grouper for NZ in the triathlon world champs in Wollongong in mid-October.

That was a comfortable amount on the plate outside of work, then the opportunity arose to do the rescue boat driver training at my local surf club, which involved training every weekend morning and completing the skipper’s ticket. I’d been wanting to finish off the drivers for a long time, and it comes around once in a blue moon. It was too valuable an opportunity to miss.

I put my excellent time management skills to the test, switched into uber focus mode for a few weeks, and turned down the noise on non priorities to pull everything off.

In the first weekend of October I passed my Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) driver's course with my local surf club in Perth.

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A week later I passed the CompTIA Network+ certification. This is a stepping stone in a cybersecurity upskilling strategy, building on the CompTIA Security+ earlier this year and experience from working on WA's largest cybersecurity programme last year, by filling in foundational knowledge to my background in digital. Next up I’m tackling PenTest+.

The next day I was travelled from Perth to Wollongong to represent New Zealand as an age group triathlete in both the sprint and mixed team relay at the Triathlon World Championships. I’d trained smart, had a good parkrun a few days before as a hit out and am ready to race.

I pulled everything off by diarising what needed to be done, and sticking to the plan. Not rocket science, but it facilitates the outcome.

If anyone watched the Ironman world championships in Kona this year you saw one of the most dramatic women’s races for years with the two favourites staggering on the run and dropping out, with only a few km to go. Arguably they flew too close to the sun and blew up. It was actually the women who executed their own race plans and raced smart on the day who made it to the podium. Not rocket science, but it facilitates the outcome.