Australian Lifesaver of the Year used to fear the ocean

A Scot who migrated to Australia with a fear of the ocean has been named national Lifesaver of the Year for 2015.

57 year-old Billy Jackson from Brighton Surf Life Saving Club in South Australia took out the DHL Lifesaver of the Year award at the annual Surf Life Saving Australia National Awards of Excellence in Sydney.

He is the first South Australian winner of the DHL Lifesaver of the Year award since 2008.

Jackson moved to Australia more than 20 years ago and quickly joined the Surf Life Saving ranks on arrival. It helped him overcome his fear of the ocean after learning to swim in a river that flows through the south-west of Scotland in a small town near Kilmarnock.

He has gone on to become a well-respected member and mentor at Brighton SLSC, awarded life membership of the club earlier this year and has played a leading role in the establishment of South Australia’s newest club Goolwa SLSC.

In 2014/15, he also clocked a staggering 215 hours of volunteer patrols for his local club.

On a night where awards were sent to all corners of the country, Queensland’s Mermaid Beach SLSC won the DHL Club of the Year after being a nominee in the same category last year.

Judges applauded the club’s long-term plan for strategic sustainability and growth and the positive connection to the local community.

Mermaid Beach has continued to grow in membership and boasts more than 850 members, with a strong Nippers base.

Queensland’s Warwick Redwood took out the highly prestigious DHL Volunteer of the Year award.

The Sunshine Beach SLSC member has been a leader in introducing innovative programs which have resulted in a boost in youth membership by 60 per cent. He has also been a leader in training patrolling members at the club.

The DHL Lifeguard of the Year award was won by Luke Plant from Victoria.

The Australian Lifeguard Services employee has progressed his career steadily over his six years as a professional lifeguard and was this year heavily involved in the development of a rookie program in Victoria.

Surf Life Saving Australia welcomed two new life members, with Burning Palms SLSC stalwart Peter Pearce rewarded for his 49 years of service at all levels of the movement.

Broadbeach SLSC’s Mark Fife was also made a Life Member, on a history-making night for the SLSA Chair of Lifesaving. He was also inducted into the SLSA Hall of Fame, after being the national Lifesaver of the Year and Volunteer of the Year in previous years. He is the first person to have ever received all four awards.

Sporting stars Alison O’Toole and Lachlan Tame were also inducted into the SLSA Hall of Fame for their achievements at national surf sports events.

Among a host of awards presented on the night, Liz Pluimers took out the Surf Sports Athlete of the Year award following a history-making season in which she became the first person to win the triple-crown – the Coolangatta Gold, the Nutri-Grain Series and the Australian Ironwoman Championship in the same season.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of meritorious awards to 15 noteworthy lifesavers for outstanding rescues performed throughout the season.

The full list of winners is:

Surf Sport Coach of the Year Andrew Chandler Seacliff SLSC, South Australia
Surf Sport Official of the Year Carol Gibbs Trigg Island SLSC, Western Australia 
Surf Sport Youth Athlete of the Year Lizzie Welborn North Bondi, NSW
Surf Sport Athlete of the Year Liz Pluimers North Burleigh SLSC, Queensland
Trainer of the Year Belinda Kuster Scarboro SLSC, Western Australia 
Assessor of the Year Katrina Antony Portland SLSC, Victoria
Community Education Program of the Year Bellambi SLSC NSW  
DHL Lifeguard of the Year Luke Plant ALS Victoria
DHL Lifesaver of the Year William Jackson Brighton SLSC, South Australia 
DHL Volunteer of the Year Warick Redwood Sunshine Beach SLSC, Queensland
DHL Club of the Year Mermaid Beach  

Meritorious Award Winners:
Australian Lifeguard Service Western Australia 
Elena Damianopoulos - Floreat SLSC, Western Australia
Richard Garnsey - Cronulla SLSC, NSW
Avan Christie - Evans Head/ Casino SLSC, NSW
Wesfarmers Jet Rescue Team - Albany SLSC, Western Australia
North Bondi SLSC - NSW
Redhead SLSC - NSW
Peter McNally, Jason, O’Donnell & Paul Young - Macksville-Scotts Head SLSC, NSW
Desleigh Jones - Dicky Beach SLSC, Queensland
Bruce Kelly - North Narrabeen SLSC, NSW
Craig Zulian - Towradgi SLSC, NSW
Adriaan van der Wallen - Avalon SLSC, NSW
Emma Jackson - Kurrawa SLSC, Queensland
Graham & Lucas Toms - South Maroubra SLSC, NSW
Kerry McEwan, Kate Munro & Donna Wishart - Avalon SLSC, NSW
Bev Tilbury, Russell Lamb & Jen Spencer - Warriewood SLSC, NSW
 
SLSA Hall of Fame Inductees:
Mark Fife OAM - Queensland
South Port SLSC March Past Team - South Australia
Lachlan Tame - NSW
Alison O’Toole - Western Australia
 
SLSA Life Members:
Mark Fife OAM - Queensland
Peter Pearce - NSW

Image (from left) DHL representative Phil Corcoran, DHL Lifesaver of the year Billy Jackson and SLSA President Graham Ford.

24th August 2015 - SURF LIFE SAVING AUSTRALIA RESEARCH HELPS INFORM THE NEW AUSTRALIAN STANDARD FOR LIFEJACKETS

7th July 2015 - SURF LIFE SAVING OPERATIONS CENTRE OPENS IN PORT MACQUARIE

29th June 2015 - VICTORIAN CORONER CALLS FOR COMPULSORY PRIMARY SCHOOL SWIMMING LESSONS

29th June 2015 - NATIONAL COASTAL SAFETY REPORT SHOWS REDUCTION IN DROWNING DEATHS

1st February 2010 - LIFEGUARDS WRAP UP SUMMER HOLIDAY SEASON 

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