On any given patrol at Noosa Main Beach, you’ll find volunteers watching the water, scanning the horizon and keeping beachgoers safe.
Among them is Lucia Neely – a quiet achiever whose impact on the sand stretches far beyond the red and yellow flags.
Lucia is a passionate advocate for inclusion and a driving force behind initiatives that ensure people of all abilities feel they belong – particularly in surf lifesaving and beach culture, so central to life in Noosa.
“All kids deserve to feel like they belong at the beach,” Lucia said. “Living in Noosa, the ocean is such a big part of our culture. We want every child, regardless of ability, to have the chance to learn about water safety, build confidence and just have fun.”
“Inclusion shouldn’t be an add-on,” she said. “It should be embedded in what we do.”
At the heart of that commitment is Seahorse Nippers, a unique inclusive program run through Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club for children and young people with physical and intellectual challenges.
The program allows participants to take part in modified nipper activities including beach flags, beach obstacle courses, wading, swimming, body boarding and kayaking, all tailored to individual ability.
Each Seahorse Nipper is supported one-on-one by a dedicated volunteer lifesaver, ensuring they can safely build confidence in the water while learning vital beach awareness skills.
For Lucia, who has cerebral palsy, the program represents something much bigger than sport.
Seahorse Nippers creates a space where mobility, communication or cognitive differences do not exclude children from participating in a core part of the Noosa lifestyle.
It offers not only water safety education, but connection, confidence and community.
Noosa Councillor Amelia Lorentson has seen Lucia’s commitment first-hand.
“I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a patrol at Noosa Main Beach with one of my favourite humans, Lucia Neely,” Cr Lorentson said.
“She’s got this quiet grit, advocates fiercely for inclusion, youth, and social justice, and has a smile as bright as the sun.”
Cr Lorentson said her understanding of inclusive sport deepened after attending a wheelchair rugby event Lucia encouraged her to join.
“Late last year, she invited me to wheelchair rugby organised by Noosa Council and the QRL – Queensland Rugby League and it turned out to be one of the most powerful community and fun experiences I’ve had in a long time,” she said.
“I got to see what reverse inclusion really looks like – a sport where anyone can join, where mobility doesn’t determine who gets to participate, and where belonging is built in from the start.”
That same philosophy underpins Seahorse Nippers and a growing number of inclusive programs across the region.
“And we’re so lucky to live in a community where this kind of inclusion is already happening – Seahorse Nippers, Sailability, Noosa Pirates Connect Rugby, the Noosa Tigers inclusion program, All Abilities Golf in Cooroy, Noosa Touch, and the incredible Sunshine Butterflies, who run all-abilities sports programs that bring people together in the best way,” Cr Lorentson said.
For Lucia, inclusion is not a token gesture or a side program – it is fundamental.
“Lucia said something that’s stayed with me: People with disabilities matter. Their voices matter. Their presence in sport matters,” Cr Lorentson said.
“She’s right. Representation isn’t a bonus – it’s the foundation of a fair community. And inclusion can’t stop at the sidelines of sport. It has to show up in our workplaces, in our leadership, and in the everyday moments where people deserve to be seen, valued and heard.”
Lucia, a recent Social Work graduate, brings both lived experience and professional insight to her advocacy.
Her walking disability has never deterred her involvement in surf lifesaving or community sport.
Instead, it has strengthened her resolve to ensure others are not left on the sidelines.
“Her walking disability doesn’t limit her, it sharpens her insight and her commitment to helping others.”
Through Seahorse Nippers and her broader community involvement, Lucia Neely is helping reshape what participation looks like on Noosa’s beaches – proving that lifesaving is not just about watching the water, but about making sure everyone has the chance to stand on the shore.
