Dean Mercer

Dean Paul Mercer OAM (24 November 1969 – 28 August 2017) was an Australian sportsman who competed in ironman events.^[1][2]

Dean Mercer

OAM

Personal information
Full name	Dean Paul Mercer
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1969-11-24)24 November 1969 Bulli, New South Wales, Australia
Died	28 August 2017(2017-08-28) (aged 47) Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Sport
Country	Australia
Sport	Ironman surf lifesaving

Career

Mercer was born in Bulli and raised in Thirroul, both suburbs of Wollongong.^[3] Early in his career, Mercer and his brother Darren were coached by their father, John.^[4] Mercer became a professional ironman at 15 and competed from 1987 to 2010. He won the Australian open ironman titles in 1989 and 1995,^[2] and five New South Wales championships. In 1997 he won the World Oceanman series.^[2] He competed in his last Coolangatta Gold aged 40.^[5]

In 1992, Mercer was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "service to surf lifesaving",^[6] and in 1990 was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions at Sydney Olympic Park.^[2]

At the time of his death Mercer was director of surf sports, and nippers coach, at Kurrawa Surf Club at Broadbeach, Queensland a position he held since October 2014.^[5][7]

Private life

Born on 24 November 1969 to Maureen and John Mercer, Mercer grew up in Thirroul, New South Wales.^[8][9][2]

Mercer married Kaylene Costello in 1998.^[10]

In 2003, he married Reen Corbett, an ironwoman competitor in her own right.^[11] They later had four boys.^[5]

In 2013, a magistrates court ordered Mercer to repay almost $700 after stealing bedsheets from a department store. No conviction was recorded.^[3]

Mercer died after suffering a cardiac arrest while driving at Mermaid Waters on 28 August 2017.^[5]