Roy Menner nominated for Pride of Australia medal for teaching migrants how to swim

ROY Menner has taught children from all over the world to not be scared of the ocean. Now one of his proteges has nominated him for a Pride of Australia medal.

ROY Menner has taught children from all over the world to not be scared of the ocean.

Now he is hanging up his surf lifesaving cap to head overseas for a long holiday.

Mr Menner, 59, has been a friendly face for migrants from Afghanistan, Somalia, Nepal, Congo and Zambia at the Henley Surf Life Saving Club for more than four years.

As the co-ordinator of the club’s On The Same Wave program, Menner teaches them about surf safety.

Many of his proteges – some of whom have never seen the sea – have gone on to patrol the beaches and teach others to do the same.

But he is taking a break to travel through the US and Europe.

He has been nominated for a Pride of Australia medal.

Mr Menner says he runs the program because he was taught growing up to give everyone a “fair go”.

“Surf lifesaving has traditionally been about people who are quite competent swimmers going out to the water. So the idea is quite new because many of them have not lived near water.

“And these people are really keen to be a part of Australia and life saving is an iconic Australian thing to do.”

Mr Menner, who is retiring from work as a teacher at St John Bosco School, joined the club about 10 years ago.

“The one thing I am looking forward to when I come back is putting more time into the program.”

“When I grew up in the western suburbs of Melbourne we had the post-war immigration and back then it was all Maltese, Italians and Greeks.

“So I grew up seeing people come from somewhere else and make Australia their home country.

“Also, new arrivals make up a large proportion of drownings in this state and I wanted to help lower that rate.”

Raisey Lopez, 19, signed up to the program eight years ago.

He is now a nippers coach and nominated Mr Menner for the medal.

“Roy is the foundation of what I have become,” Raisey says. “He’s inspired me to be a better person.”