By Ron Lane
It was the year 2016 and nine-year-old boy Rohan McDonald was sitting on a jet ski just 10 meters from the water’s edge.
Sitting behind him, his helper and minder, a qualified and highly experienced Noosa Heads lifesaver was laughing and shaking his head in admiration of his little mate.
Born without tibia bones, amputation below the knees had been required. Standing on the beach watching was his proud father Justin.
“Look at him,” he said, “he is out there having the time of his life, not frightened, laughing, having a ball and, you know what, it’s all because of the Seahorse Nippers.”
It was back in April 2013 that it all started.
A member of the management committee of the Noosa Heads SLSC, Steve Mawby, with the full support of his wife Nikki, tabled a concept that would, with club support, start an organisation, the sole purpose of which would be able to cater for children with specific needs.
Little discussion was needed and total support was forthcoming.
For Steve Mawby and the soon to be formed Seahorse Nipper Club, what they created would not only exist on Noosa’s Main Beach but would, in the years ahead, spread throughout the country and also into the hallowed halls of Australia’s governing body, the National Council.
For Steve his career in lifesaving had started at the North Cronulla club in Sydney when he obtained his bronze in1979.
It was during his time with North Cronulla that he built a reputation as a competitor, when on several occasions, he successfully took part in the gruelling George Bass Marathon Ski race.
Years later, by then a married man living in Threadbo, Steve and his wife Nikki would travel to Pambula, near the Victorian border, on the weekends.
“Nikki and I met on a tourist bus on our way to Perisher for a skiing holiday when we were just 20. Eighteen months later we married.”
In Pambula, Steve had joined the local surf club and was doing patrols. It was during this time that Steve and Nikkie got their first look at lifesavers caring for little children.
“However,” said Steve, “it was just a small concern with patrolling members helping the kids.”
After some time they shifted to the Sunshine Coast.
Nikki joined the Peregian Nippers, worked as an age manager and also obtained her bronze medallion. During this time Steve joined up with the Noosa Heads surf ski team for training sessions.
“They were a friendly mob so eventually Nikki and I joined Noosa.” On joining the club Steve soon became a member of the Management Committee and while in office, started discussions regarding the possible formation of a pilot club to help children with special needs.
Back at Pambula, two former clubmates, Peter and Michel Boots, had formed a nipper club for these special children and it was going strong.
When Steve’s request for a similar project got the go ahead, he immediately suggested the Boots be flown up to Noosa for discussions and guidance.
This was agreed to and the foundation meetings were held. The Noosa Seahorse Nippers were under way.
The basic structure was that Noosa would conduct two programs a year for the children, one in April the second in September, at no cost to the parents.
However, as with the start of any project, there would be questions building up in the minds of the founders.
Will the families support the project and, above all, what would be the reaction of the children?
Now all involved know the answers. From the parents it is total support and the kids – they absolutely love it.
Financial support was obtained through the Surf Club, Floral Shirts (a private group of professional businessman) and $10,000 grant from the C.B.A.
These funds were to be used primarily in the purchase of the necessary equipment and the building of a custom-made gear trailer.
‘’Support from our surf club members was outstanding,” said Steve.
“To me this was the most important factor of all. With a ratio requirement of two minders to one child, a large membership was vital.
“For a project such as this to succeed it needs team work.
“Lorna Gardner was with us right from the start as were many others, in particular family groups – the Lansdowns, the Dokons the Glassocks all stepping in to help.
“Also, obtaining both Dawn Fraser and Jordan Mercer as Patrons added prestige to our club. Their ongoing support has been great.”
Not content to be just figurehead patrons, Jordan can sometimes be seen working as a minder and Dawn walking among the children, chatting and offering words of advice.
With the Seahorse Nippers now a reality, more surf club members volunteered and various groups consolidated.
“As the background of volunteers became known,” said Steve, “we utilized the capabilities of all people.
“It was these people who made our Seahorse Nippers a success – locals who became dedicated or, in the words of Activity Leader Donald McKill, ‘took ownership of their duties’.”
One body whose support was vital was the Noosa Council.
Their involvement gave Vietnam vets the opportunity to arrange transport and parking for parents on Seahorse days.
The vets, patrolling members of the surf club, working as parking stewards, enabled the parents to get the children, some in wheelchairs, quickly and easily to the beach. Indeed a major contribution.
Word of what Noosa had achieved spread quickly and it was not long before clubs, not only in Queensland but interstate, began to follow suit.
Now some four years later there are more than 50 clubs throughout Australia with some working under different names.
Of these, nine are in Queensland and all use the Noosa Seahorse program.
With the success and expansion of the clubs, it was only natural that new ideas regarding all aspects of their work would be forthcoming.
As a result a major think tank was organized and in April of 2016 was held in the Noosa club.
Attended by club delegates from Queensland, Victoria, N.S.W, Sport and Recreation, Queensland State Centre (our governing body) House with No Steps and several government (local and interstate) representatives, it was an outstanding success.
Among the speakers was a young doctor whose address to the delegates regarding the care and welfare of the children was outstanding.
For Steve and his team this was to be the first of many such meetings.
“We now meet every two or three months,” Steve said, “and this enables the clubs to have their programs and ideas put forward.”
Then in November the club, with a major contribution from coach Tim Mandeville, introduced a new concept – integration.
This was aimed at giving the older and more experienced members the opportunity to be integrated into the Noosa Nipper Club.
Parents were handed photographic manuals and these would play a major part in the visual training for the children.
Personal coaching techniques were explained and a successful board and swim clinic was conducted on Main Beach by the coach. Parents in attendance were happy with the program.
This concept would now give the Seahorse Nippers a great opportunity to move up into the mainstream Nippers. Indeed a major step forward.
As a result of the good work of those who have taken ownership of their duties the word has spread. Surf Life Saving Australia is now setting up a parallel committee for special need children.
On 20 October, after Steve Mawby had stepped forward at an official function in Brisbane to receive the QBank Award of Ownership (one of five categories in the very prestigious Everyday Heroes Awards) he said: “The Seahorse Nippers is successful because everybody owns it – it is not about me.”
The coaches, minders, parking attendants, mums and dads, the beach medics and the Noosa Council have all taken ownership and, proud to say, they are all Our People.
