NSW members and clubs have once again shone on the national stage, winning several awards at the 2024 Surf Life Saving Australia Awards of Excellence – including a Central Coast Patrol Captain earning the state an incredible third straight DHL Surf Lifesaver of the Year title.
Following in the footsteps of Shannon Fox (Wollongong City SLSC) in 2022 and Cheryl McCarthy (Bermagui SLSC) in 2023, this year’s NSW Surf Lifesaver of the Year, Mollie Murphy (Umina SLSC) picked up SLSA’s highest honour at the gala award dinner in Sydney on 9 November.
“I was so shocked, there are so many great lifesavers across the country and that’s reflected in the nomination group this year, so I was very surprised,” she said.
“We say it so much but the community within Surf Life Saving is so special. I think this award is going to be so special for the club as well, they’ve all been part of my journey since Nippers at U7s.”
Mollie’s big win was not the only one for the Central Coast, with Terrigal SLSC named the DHL Club of the Year – a first for the Branch at the SLSA awards.
“We’ve never been in a position like this before and we never thought we’d be here, we’ve just been working for our surf lifesavers and members and it’s fantastic to have this transformational year recognised,” Terrigal SLSC Director of Administration, Julie Redfern said.
Wins also in the Community Education Program of the Year category (Newport SLSC – Fit to Learn with Police Youth Command) and the Surf Sports Team of the Year category (Bulli SLSC’s Open Men’s Surf Boat crew) illustrated the depth of capability of members across the state, in fields of athletic excellence as well as invaluable community engagement, education, and support.
Cape Hawke SLSC and the Lower North Coast Branch was recognised for an incredible rescue conducted in March with a Meritorious Award. The rescue, which saw volunteers engaged after hours to assist in extricating a teenage boy from treacherous waters by a rocky cliff face near One Mile Beach, was named the NSW Rescue of the Year in August.
Wednesday 13 November 2024
