Hero saves woman from great white shark, then breaks world record

For most athletes, preparing for the world championship means just training, endurance and competition. But for Australian standup paddleboarder Charlie Verco, the weeks leading up to one of the biggest races of his career were anything but usual. In June 2026, Verco was involved in a life-and-death rescue when a woman was attacked by a great white shark off Sydney's Coogee Beach while on a routine training drill. A few weeks later, he was back in the water, this time not to save a life but to make sporting history and set a new world record at Hawaii’s prestigious Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race.Heroic rescue off Coogee BeachAccording to media reports, in June 2026 Verco was training in the waters off Coogee Beach in Sydney when he heard desperate cries for help. Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old teacher, was attacked by a great white shark while swimming.