Please click on the document link to read the Senior Nippers Committee Newsletter - Ed 2

Club Champs are going to be held this Sunday 12 Feb @ 9am.

A reminder as per SurfGuard email, we are still looking for Water Safety for the Malabar Magic next Sunday 19 Feb  - please get in contact with Shane White.

We have had some incredible results of late including some coming 2nd in Sydney Branch Championships. Some amazing results listed below including an incredible 1,2,3,4 in the U15 Boys Sprints!

Meanwhile we also had representation over in Perth in January at the Australian National Open Water with a credible 5th in the 15 YO Boy's 5km (1:04:03) from Vectis Buckett and  7th in the 16 YO Girls 5km
(1:02:58) from Jasmin Alexiou

What’s your full name? Nicole Cooney

Do you have a nickname and how did you get it? Most people at the club call me Cooney - when I joined there were a couple Nicole's so it made it easier.

What’s your current position in the club? I'm currently the Director of Lifesaving Services

How long have you been in the role ? This season is my 5th season in the role.

When did you first join? 20 September 2013

Can you tell us about your lifesaving journey? I had thought about becoming a lifesaver for years, having grown up on Maroubra beach. Having lived overseas much of my schooling life I never did nippers, but I was in the ocean before I could walk. I finally bit the bullet and did so in 2013. I had already met members from South Maroubra through the gym I was training at, and that is how I chose the Club. Thanks Brad, Matt and Linda! I got my bronze and most other awards in my first season, including my IRB crews because I was told I just had to race IRBs (thanks Brad and Matt!). Very quickly I got into award training and soon took over from the great Ray Robbo looking after training the SRC, he taught me all he knew. Since then I have seen the kids I trained grow into young adults and mentored many of them, it's been one of my greatest pleasures. By my third season I was a Patrol Captain, and by my fourth season I joined the Board of Management as the Hon Secretary & Registrar. I spent two years in the Secretary role before becoming the Director if Lifesaving Services. It has been a great, and often times challenging, ten years but I have enjoyed every part of it.

What positions have you held in the club? Patrol Captain, Trainer, Hon Secretary and Registrar, Director of Lifesaving Services, Education Coordinator, IRB Coordinator

Any highlights? To be honest there are a lot of highlights. Since join the club 10 years ago I have tried a lot of things including IRB racing and Surf Boat rowing - both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I love lifesaving and in particular training new lifesavers and have been awarded Sydney Branch Trainer of the Year twice. It's an honour to be nominated by the club and to have won. Being a part of it all has been a highlight!
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What does the future hold and any advice to fellow members? South Maroubra has a promising future. Since joining I have seen all sections grow and go from strength to strength. We have some amazing lifesavers and future leaders at our club and I am excited to see what the next chapter holds for them. My advice is to get involved, there are so many ways to do so - that suits your lifestyle and time. All you can do is give it a go!

ARTC Course

Looking to upskill? New Year/New Skills! We are running our first ARTC intensive for the 22-23 season on Saturday 18th Feb from 8am-2pm. Please submit your EOI or ask any questions to Codie at  [email protected]

First aid certificate course – March

​We will run a first aid course over two Tuesday evenings on 14 and 21 March. Open to members 14+ years, and cost $70. Places are limited. If you’re interested email Nicole at [email protected]

Patrol Parking

A reminder please to all members to only use the Surf Rescue Parking spots when you are rostered for patrol. Our patrolling members are increasingly having issues getting parking spots as members are using the spots when not on patrol. At the same time if you do ever find the need to park within the club area, remember access is required to the lifesaving shed and space at all times. This is emergency access, as well as the lifesaving trailers. Your vehicle risks damage parked within the area.

Members, a belated welcome to 2023 and what a start to the new year we have had here at South Maroubra.

So many events run and won to date including our traditional ‘Respect, Reflect and Celebrate’ Australia Day bbq, followed by our very Sportspersons Day fundraising event for our Aussie Touring team heading to Western Australia in March. We followed this event with resumption of Nippers, Branch Titles for Youth, Masters and Open competitors.  Our fitness class for members ‘Over 40’ resumed and still welcomes members over 40.  Emily Henville and Chris Kondilios from Nippers represented our club in the Branch Junior Lifesaver of the Year competition, both finalists.

Yes, there’s more, with our club hosting sponsors lunch recognising and thanking the individuals and companies that support the work our members do and the invaluable contribution to our community our club makes on so many fronts and finally, we finished the run of events to date with Nipper State Touring Team Trivia fundraiser in Horizons!

Wow, what a world wind 2 months in 2023!

Pleasingly we have had outstanding service from our Lifesavers over the festive season with records crowds on our beach, consistent large numbers at South Maroubra that I haven’t seen in many years.  Surf conditions were equally challenging but handled really well by our well trained and equipped lifesavers. Bronze and SRC training has resumed, a special ‘Sisters in the Surf’ patrol recognising 40 years of women in lifesaving takes place on March 11 with all female members welcome to join this nostalgic occasion.

In brief;

• We continue to work with contractors around the amenity block development and expect in the next month to experience some access interruption to the beach ramp and some storerooms, car park side.
• Bernie Kelly Dr will be resurfaced on the 14/2 with road closed btw 8pm and 5am.
• We continue to work up the next stage of the club redevelopment with plans nearing DA submission.
• Record private bookings of our ‘Heritage and BK bar’ continue with members taking up the offer of 'discounted room hire prices.’
• Social Sunday and our outside beer garden have boomed this year with the community and members embracing this wonderful social initiative.
• Last Sunday I celebrated my retirement in the Heritage Lounge, a wonderful way to close the policing chapter, thanks to Greg, Uri and Marcelo for volunteering their bar services.
• Club Champs this Sunday 9am with all lifesavers encouraged to join in on this fun morning.
• Extensive fire safety upgrades have occurred followed by electrical safety upgrades.
• We welcome back Ray Brownlee incoming Randwick City General Manager, an outstanding Local Government Leader.

And that’s a wrap for now, see you on Sunday!
Paul ‘Stretch’ Fownes APM OAM
President.