By RON LANE
In the silence that followed the announcement you could have heard a pin drop. Then the 85 guests assembled on the verandah of the Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Supporter Club, erupted in a crescendo of cheers and applause. Reason. They had just been informed by the guest speaker, Graham Ford, president of the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia, that Lenore Grice life member of the Noosa club, has been made a member of the Australian Surf Life Saving Hall of Fame.
Sitting with friends Lenore was stunned and taken completely by surprise. Speaking of the award Ford said, “When you read this lady’s history as a coach in first aid competition, I can say that this is definitely well earned. This is one of our highest honors. On accepting this award, Lenore becomes only the 63rd person in our 107-year history of lifesaving in Australia to be so honored.”
The fact that Lenore holds a dual membership being both a member of Noosa and Maroochydore, where she now coaches, speaks volumes for her attitude of being willing to help those who ask.
After accepting her framed certificate, Lenore acknowledged the award.
“This has come as a complete surprise,”she said.
“Usually when something like this is underway, you get a niggling that there is something going on, but I must be honest I had no idea.”
This is understandable as all those involved in researching her background were informed, in no uncertain terms, that their silence was expected in particular those who were her club-mates.
“I have always enjoyed what I do. In particular, I love working with young people. It is great after years in a club or organisation to be able to pass your experience on to them. I don’t care what club they come from, I will always help.”
Lenore’s career started back in 1972 when she joined the Noosa Club to help a friend with fund-raising for the Queensland Summer Surf Girl Quest. For Lenore who hailed from Brisbane, it was a something of a rough start.
“Those were the days when you travelled up through to Eumundi and then down on a dirt road to the coast. On arrival, we would stay at a boarding house in Hasting Street. The trip from Brissie to Noosa took hours,” she said.
This however was just the start for in 1973 she took the position of fund-raising officer an office she was to hold till 1978.
“In those days, money was hard to come by, it was a lot of chook raffles and house-to-house collections in Brisbane. The house to house was a big day. A lot of our members lived in Brisbane, but the others had to come down from Noosa State Centre. Our governing body for Queensland would allocate suburbs in which to conduct the appeal and we were usually in the Dutton Park area. We would set up our club tables and chairs for the counters and the boys would go and door knock. Start about 8am on a Saturday and work until 3pm, count our money, then we would all drive up to Noosa.”
During the season 1973 to 1978 she held office as president of the Ladies Auxiliary. Then in 1978/79 season, she served her first season as club honorary secretary. After a season’s break, she returned to office and held the position for the next nine years. Also during this time, she took on the office of co-ordinator for the house-to-house collection. However after stepping down as secretary in 1989, she was recalled to the office in 1995 and served another two years.
“My interest in first aid competition started in the early ’80s. It was a totally different concept, set mainly on a verbal format and only conducted at state level. Then things got organised and there was great improvement. Now we have full-on scenarios, we rig up major accident scenes, car accidents even glass accidents in our supporter clubs. The scenarios are as real as possible and judging is tough; it is really great.”
One of the highlights contained in the documents tabled at her nomination states that “her greatest achievement as a coach had its genesis in 1980 when she became a trainer, coach and assessor for Noosa Heads S.L.S.C.”
Under Lenore’s strict supervision, the Noosa team settled into a tight training regime and in the 1985/86 season it paid dividends; Noosa won the Gold Medal at the National Titles in South Australia.
“For Noosa not only was it our first-ever gold in open competition at a National Titles,” said Lenore laughing, “but it was the first time ever, that a pregnant lifesaver had won a gold medal at National level. This came about because one of the two person team was my sister Christine. We used to tease them saying they cheated because Noosa was really three persons.”
This medal won in 1986 was just the start and now in this the 2014 season she is still coaching. Her tally of medals during that period of 27 years is a staggering 30 Gold, 18 Silver and 5 Bronze Medals. Again quoting from the submission, between 2001 and 2013, Lenore has not failed to take home a First Aid Australian Championship in each of these 13 years. On three of these occasions Lenore coached three teams to the Gold.
Along the way because of her work, not only in the coaching arena, but also inside her two clubs, she has received the following recognition; 1990 Life Member Noosa Heads SLSC; 2003 Life Member Sunshine Coast Branch; 1997 World Lifesaving Citation; 2005 Silver Certificate of Recognition for outstanding voluntary contribution and dedication to the advancement and promotion of women in Surf Lifesaving and 2005 SLSQ Coach of the Year.
Despite being a sport mad country, the term Super Coach is rarely used for it is a very high honor. However to name a few Rugby League has Wayne Bennett, AFL Kevin Sheedy and Boxing Johnny Lewis. Now after Friday night there is a new one; Lifesavings Lenore Grice, and what’s more, the lady is ours.
