Lifesaver's battle to take on world's best

Johanna O'Connor was told she would never swim again.

An accident with a wayward car left Mt Maunganui woman Johanna O'Connor battered, broken and lying helplessly alongside her mortally injured boyfriend.

Two years on and after a long and determined road beyond recovery to peak physical fitness, the 22-year-old is preparing to represent New Zealand with 11 others at the World Lifesaving Championships in Melbourne in February.

"She's a pretty determined girl," said the team's coach, John Bryant, with calm understatement.

"The first year was the hardest. Obviously the emotional side was hard, but she's right on track now to be the best again."

Her achievement is nothing short of remarkable after sustaining a fractured skull, ligament and nerve damage to her legs, a dislocated and fractured shoulder, a broken right hand and an injury to her face.

She was told she would never swim again, and would need a long rest period before her body could cope with the demands of training again.

But she endured intense physical pain to start cycling, aqua-walking and, within three months, running.

It helped numb her devastation at losing her boyfriend of 18 months, Jared Selby, she said.

Next year she hopes to improve on her fourth place in the surf race at the most recent World Championships last September.

The New Zealand team has eight new caps in the line-up and includes veterans Morgan Foster and Glenn Anderson, and double Olympian Steven Ferguson.

New Zealand finished second in the event last year.

A number of top surf lifeguards were not considered for the team because of Commonwealth Games swimming commitments a fortnight from the World Championships.