Lifesaving
Despite the existing health conditions, the majority of our coaches and athletes are still acting and thinking positive.
In other words, they are still very much on the move. We wish them all the very best.
Amongst these is our local girl and surf lifesavings Coolangatta Gold champion Lana Rogers. Now competing for the Alexandra Headlands club, Lana, after a tough six-week training program, will this week travel to North Bondi to contest the first round of the Nutri Grain Iron Woman Championship of Australia. And as the defending champion she is, in the words of her coach and mentor Sharlene Kelly, ‘’Very fit, feeling good and ready to race”.
Unfortunately, due to the present situation, coach Sharlene, a young mother of two young boys, is not able to journey interstate but with Lana’s tough mental attitude she will adapt to the situation. The vital role of handler of the board and ski changeover during the race will be in the hands of Sunshine’s Sam O’Conner, a great gesture of sportsmanship from this club.
At the recent Beach Events Carnival held at Mooloolaba, Sunshine’s head coach Josh Minogue said, “Our overall results from our youth members were very good. Mila Jones in the u/11s won the beach sprint and the beach flags and in the u/15 boys Xavier Dilleward won the beach sprint .Our beach coach Pauline Gleeson has done an incredible job. The future for our beach team is looking very good.”
Last weekend boat crews from the Noosa club were to race on the Gold Coast but the carnival was cancelled. Boat captain Andrew Fox said, “We got hit with a double header. First it was the cyclone. This washed a lot of beaches away that was suitable for boat carnivals. Then add to this some crew members were on health restrictions due to Covid. All we can do now plan for the season ahead, play it by ear and hope for the best.“
Weightlifting
For our weightlifting club 29 January will definitely be a step in the right direction. As one of the fastest growing sports in Noosa, Saturday the 29th will see the club conducting a youth development competition day.
“Starting at approximately 10.30am, it will concentrate on the 13 to 17-year-old novice lifters. This will surely give the youth a good inside into the Olympic sport of weightlifting.”
Already some of our local youth such as the Marsh brother and sister competitors, amongst others, have started to make the local weightlifting world sit up and take notice. Head coach Woogie Marsh said, “This is the way to start the ball rolling. A good program will get our youth involved and from then on, hopefully, the sport will start to grow. We have the facilities in place and a great team of workers giving us their total support.”
Boxing
This year will mark 25 years that Mark Evans, owner, head coach of Cooroy’s Impact Boxing and Fitness Club has been involved in the sport of boxing. Now following the finishing of the new gym facilities situated at 5 Taylor Court, he seems to have gained a new lease of life and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.
With the community hit by the Covid virus, a new progressive, properly run sporting facility could be a way of maintaining a positive attitude and instilling a self-discipline that could be of great assistance in this time of crises.
To maintain this attitude, his team of fighters is definitely (under strict supervision) kept busy. The busy program will start on 16 January when coach Evans will attend a five-day national youth training camp at the AIS in Canberra. Some 22 of the country’s best youth amateur boxers will be in attendance. Among those selected are three members of our Impact Boxing and Fitness club at Cooroy: Page Robinson, Keana Welch and Ciara Storch. Ciara, who hails from Dysart, has the outstanding record of 21 fights for 20 wins.
Then on 19 February, former Australian amateur champion turned professional, Ben Cameron-Hands, and gym mate Karin Whitehead will fight on the program at the Nissan Arena in Brisbane. Following this on 19 March, Luke Martin will fight for the Australian featherweight title at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. As a result of his dedication to the sport, coach Evans’ achievements have been outstanding. At present he is still assistant coach of Boxing Australia (for international teams), president of Boxing Queensland and Boxing Queensland Future (talent identification) coach.
Community contribution
Away from the world of boxing, his club’s contribution to the community has definitely made an impact. On choosing the name Impact for his boxing club, he wanted to form a club whose members, both young and old, would achieve the goal of making a big impact, not only in the world of amateur boxing, but also by their involvement in charity work within the community. This he has done by his work in the schools, and the club’s sponsorship of the seminar for the fight against suicide in our towns. His work with the local sergeant of police regarding street kids, is of major note. Well done to all involved. Stay well, stay safe.
