By RON LANE
LAST Friday, Cooper Williams of the Noosa club travelled to the Gold Coast as a guest of honor to attend the annual Carbine Club Luncheon – the reason being Cooper was to receive the Peter Lacey Medal.
This award came about as a result of being named the under-17 Competitor of the Carnival at the recent Queensland Titles. Cooper came home with a total of five medals – one gold, three silver and one bronze – a truly outstanding effort against the best in the state.
Accompanied by his mother and grand-parents Cooper was excited.
“I was really stoked to get this” he said. “It’s a really prestigious award and I would like to thank the people of the Carbine Club very much.”
The Peter Lacey Medal is named in honor of one of the greatest life saving competitors of all time.
During his 22 consecutive years as a competitor, representing Surfers Paradise-Lorne-Southport, he won a total of 18 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals at the Australian titles, as well as four World Lifesaving Championships. In 1987/88 Peter was president of the local fraternity of the Carbine Club. Sadly Peter passed away in 1997.
The Surf Life Saving Australian Youth titles got under way on the weekend. Noosa started well when Electra Outram won the gold medal in the under-15 Iron Woman, and Ryan Bebendorf won silver in the under-15 board.
Sunshine Beach started off with Tom Baker winning a silver medal in the under-15 beach flags their first beach medal in eight years, and Jonty Redwood won a bronze in the under-/15 surf race. Ruby Nolan picked up a double in the under-14s, winning a silver in the iron woman and bronze in the surf swim. In the champion life saver, under-15 Talisa Brady won gold and Jonty Redwood won silver. In team events, which have always been a strong area for Sunshine under-15s, the boys won silver medals in both the swim team and board relay and a bronze in the Cameron; the girls also picked up silver in the Cameron.
With Cooper Williams being awarded the prestigious Peter Lacey Medal and the youth from both Sunshine and Noosa winning medals at the National Titles, it speaks volumes not only for the future of our clubs but above all the environment in which these young people are being raised – not only at club level but also on the home front. Well done to all.
In what Noosa team captain Bruce Warren described as trying conditions, his team of masters on Monday won a total of 12 medals – one gold, four silver and seven bronze – all medals being won in water events. Good to see the ‘golden oldies’ still competing; they play a vital role in our clubs. With so many young ones on the way up their presence is very stabilising.
With Anzac Day drawing near, last Monday morning at the Noosa Club a small group of senior members and wives gathered for what is now becoming a club tradition; an official ceremony to acknowledge those members who have served both their club and their country in a time of conflict.
In his welcome to guests chairman Ken Edwards explained the purpose of the day then called on master of ceremonies Peter Williams to introduce guest speaker Meg Gemmell. Last year, with 2015 being the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli, 16-year-old Meg (also a patrolling member of Noosa) was one of 70 Queensland students to win a Premiers Anzac Prize which saw them on a conducted tour of Gallipoli and the battle fields of Europe. At the completion of her speech, The Ode was read by Vietnam veteran and former club captain John Cairns, and the minute’s silence was observed.
