It's happened a couple of times when anxiously waiting for her teenage daughter Holly to compete that the shark alarm has sounded, sending Mrs Wishart's heart into a flutter as all the surfers scrambled back to shore.

"As a mother I don't know what's worse ... it's pretty scary when that happens," Mrs Wishart told the Mercury.

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Despite this no-one at any of Holly's competitions have come in contact with the toothy creatures of the deep and it's hoped to stay that way, as it looks like the family will be following the rising star around the country - and perhaps overseas - for years to come.

Mrs Wishart began to realise surfing was more than just a fun family activity for her youngest from early on, when she took to competitions with ease.

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"When doing local boardriders or micro groms, Holly was winning her heats quite easily," she said. "It was probably the other parents of older kids saying 'Holly has a bit of talent there' and we should take it into the next level."

The 16-year-old is now sponsored by the Mambo Junior Surf Team and has already visited Melbourne, Bells Beach, and Margaret River in WA for competitions as well as numerous breaks around NSW. She has ambitions to head to the Olympics and take on the professional touring circuit.

"I get more nervous now than I did when she was young," Mrs Wishart said.

"When it didn't matter where you came - you might've got a t-shirt or something - but now I feel pressure for her ... I just want her to be happy with how she surfs. You get 20 minutes and it can be such a luck of the draw."

Mrs Wishart said while the "ocean is free" there's still plenty of money and effort that goes into helping raise a champion surfer.

"The competition entry fees, that's a cost and that varies, but associated with that is travel and accommodation costs," she said. "It does add up."

Unlike dance mums there are no extravagant costumes sprinkled in diamontes needed, just surfboards and wetsuits (which the sponsor helps with) and lots of early morning starts.

But Holly is "disciplined", she said" and motivated to be up and ready at 3am or 4am when they need to leave, making it "easy"

And the best bit about raising a competitive sportswoman? The travel.

"We try to go as much as we can as a family to comps, but our family holidays are also anywhere there is surf," Mrs Wishart said. "Anywhere there is a beach it's going to be fun."

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