By RON LANE
RON LANE’S PEOPLE
TWO quite unassuming young lads, both at present on basically the same paths in life; high school and surf lifesaving. The only difference being one is now a member of the club at Heads Noosa and the other Sunshine Beach.
Ironically, both of these young men Jasper Outram, aged 16, and Maverick Pettigrove, 15, started their careers as nippers in the club at Sunshine.
For Jasper who is now a member of Noosa, life in the nippers started in the U/8s in 2008. However, in 2014 he made the switch to Noosa and obtained his bronze medallion the same year, and on doing so commenced patrolling on Main Beach.
Jasper’s patrol duties are something of a family affair, as his sister Electra, an SRC member is also on the same patrol and his younger brother Zale is in the U/13 age group of the club. At present, he is a Year 12 student at the Sunshine Beach State High School.
“Once I finish high school, I am seriously thinking of going to our local uni to study engineering.” But at present his career in lifesaving is high on his agenda.
In the competition arena, the 2015/’16 season has so for been very successful for Jasper. Competing for his club at the recent Queensland Youth Surf Life Saving Championships held at North Burleigh, he came home with a tally of four medals, three gold and one silver. Competing in the U/17 age division, he won gold in the surf race, Cameron relay and his favourite the iron man; the silver was for the board relay.
Head coach Darren Mercer said, “Jasper’s results have been very good and well deserved. He is a great team member and has worked very hard. With his attitude I think he will go further.”
As we talked, it became very obvious that here was a young man with his feet firmly on the ground; someone who thought before he spoke.
“I take each day as it comes and concentrate on the day. This is a great club, good mateship, great training sessions and a really good coach.”
Another major factor in his success has been the outstanding support of the Masters competitors both male and female. “Always there, always helpful,” he said.
Noosa is fortunate in having not only a large contingent of Masters but also veteran members. We look at the names and acknowledge their experience and above all their attitude towards our youth. Members, just to name a few, such as Peter French, Peter Vidler, Steve Freckelton, Ross Fisher, Lenore Grice and the female considered to be the first lady of masters competition in Queensland, Gina Lynch. All our people are only too happy to help and advise the likes of our young Jasper Outram.
Over the hill at Sunshine Beach Surf Club, Maverick Pettigrove is, at the tender old age of 15 years, also a young clubbie, who despite his youth has already made his mark.
A Year 10 student at St Teresa’s College, he has not as yet started to concern himself with what lies ahead at the end of his college years. For Maverick his lifesaving career started as an U/7 nipper. On joining the ranks of the U/10s he started what has so far been a very successful and indeed a promising career in the world of competition. At that age when the fun factor was the major element, he threw himself into every event possible; and the foundations for what lay ahead was laid.
On reaching 13, he obtained his SRC and two years later his bronze medallion. By this stage he had already established a good reputation as a key competitor especially in team events; and it was in one particular event that he and his teammates created club, and indeed state history.
During his U/11 year, Maverick and his mates formed a board relay team. Now five years on, they have won both the branch and state titles for five consecutive years.
At the North Burleigh State Titles, he finished with a total of four gold medals; the above mentioned, plus the swim team, board rescue and the Cameron relay. “I really enjoy the team events and have always had the desire to do well in these. Apart from the winning, it also shows great depth in the club,’’ he said, ‘’and this is very important. But I would have to say that my big goal would be to win a gold medal in the Iron Man event at the Aussies; that’s the big one.”
Proud dad Max, apart from being a parent, is also, along with Mark Jacobs, affectionately known to all the team as “Chicken Legs,” one of the coaching panel. “By winning for five years in a row, they have really achieved the unbelievable; never been done before.”
For Maverick a major aspect of his success, and indeed, his attitude has been the support of all his immediate family; mum, dad, brother and sister.
Max has become something of a legend among the coaching panel at Sunshine; his success comes as a result of his many years in lifesaving. Starting his career as a junior in Noosa, Max, in December 1985, transferred to Sunshine. In 1998, he started his coaching career with the nippers before moving up into the senior ranks.
Experience gained while competing as an elite athlete in the Uncle Tobies and the Nutri Grain Iron Man Series, taught Max not only all aspects of training but also the pitfalls that lay ahead of young competitors.
Max, who since 1985 has worked as a professional lifeguard, was in 2013 awarded Life Member of Sunshine Beach for his outstanding contribution to all aspects of club life.
As with all young athletes, success for Jasper and Maverick comes only after long training periods in the pool and at the beach. For both lads, it is a total of nine sessions each per week. For Maverick it is three sessions in the pool, five sessions on the board and one iron man; and for Jasper it consists of four sessions in the pool and five sessions at the beach covering both board and ski, with coach Darren Mercer.
With so much negative reporting regarding our youth, it is indeed refreshing to move among the likes of our young people such as Jasper and Maverick and learn not only of their success, but also of their relationship with their senior and veteran members. The youth and the seniors working together within our community; and they are all our people.
