Coogee legend Norm Hill wins Service to Sport award, while Liam Lucas is our Junior Sports Star
AFTER close to 77 years as a member and change-maker at Coogee Surf Club, Norman C. Hill has been honoured for his achievements with the 2016 NewsLocal Service to Sport medal.
Southern Courier
Don't miss out on the headlines from Southern Courier. Followed categories will be added to My News.
AFTER close to 77 years as a member and change-maker at Coogee Surf Club, Norman C. Hill has been honoured for his achievements with the 2016 NewsLocal Service to Sport medal.
Ever humble, Mr Hill said he was shocked to have received the award.
“Goodness gracious, I’m amazed,” he said.
“There are so many good young people about, all the good sportspeople are youngsters ... I’m an old bugger, I think they deserve it more than me.”
Mr Hill, 92, joined his beloved club in 1940 as a 16 year old, and described that decision as “the best I’ve made in my life.”
After returning from service as a wireless air gunner in the Royal Australian Air Force in England during World War Two, Mr Hill couldn’t wait to get back to Coogee.
He spent the next seven decades pioneering projects that helped mould the club into the success it is today.
Among Mr Hill’s many achievements were establishing the Coogee Penguins Winter Swimming club in 1948.
He had many fond memories of the Sunday night dances with the ladies when the women’s march past team would come along — and where he met his late wife Eunice.
When the couple’s son Tom was ten years old, Mr Hill helped establish and coach the Coogee Minnows, which is now the largest nippers club in Australia.
He and his friends also established a running club, with 15 of them taking part in the very first Sydney City to Surf in 1971, running 15 more, and later doing runs from Coogee to La Perouse and back.
These days, Mr Hill can be found in the club every Monday morning enjoying a coffee and a chat with his “young friends,” now that he’s the only surviving member of the group of 184 from the club who served in the war.
“I’ve had so many good friends, there have been so many good officials at the club who did wonders for it over the years,” Mr Hill said.
After spending his life in Coogee, Mr Hill recently made the decision to move up to Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid-north coast to live with his son Tom and family, including his two grandchildren.
“I feel very sad about it ... I’ve lost so many of my old friends and I’ve got new young friends at the club of course, but I love my family and I want to finish up with them.
“My son is in the boat building business and comes down to Sydney all the time, so I will be able to come down with him and visit everyone at Coogee.
“I will miss them all.”
Another local who like Norm has spent all his life so far in and around the beach is bodyboarding champion Liam Lucas, who has been named Southern Courier’s 2016 Junior Sports Star medal winner.
Liam beamed as he accepted the award at a glittering ceremony at Waterview in Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park on Wednesday night.
When asked about his favourite home break however, the plucky teenager clammed up.
“I can’t tell you that — everyone should just surf somewhere else,” he laughed.
Liam, 16, has boarded his fair share of amazing breaks since starting his first year of professional competition in 2016.
After winning the NSW junior men’s title in Kiama on the south coast in May, Liam backed up on his birthday the day after with an overall win at the Mystics Pro junior bodyboarding event, competing against top-level riders up to five years his senior.
A member of Maroubra Bodyboarding Club, Liam is currently sitting in third place on the Australian Pro Junior rankings, after winning the Australian Junior Men’s bodyboarding title in August.
In November, he was hand-picked for the Aussie Buccaneers tour of South Africa, where won the Junior Pro Men’s division.
“It’s wonderful, we’re really excited he’s had this opportunity,” proud dad Mark Lucas said.
Talented Easts Bulldogs AFL player Xavier Slezak proved the embodiment of the Young Sporting Spirit award, taking the title after continuing to support his club as he battled cancer.
The Waverley College student had been a part of the Sydney Swans Academy for two years when he was 12, when his footy journey abruptly ground to a halt.
On April 25, 2014, Xavier was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, at just 12 years old.
On April 27 last year, after a 732-day battle, Xavier rang the bell on his final treatment at the Sydney Children’s Hospital, and is now living a normal life, including playing AFL.
During his illness, Xavier looked after some of the younger children on his ward, came to games to cheer on his mates, and raised funds for the Leukaemia Foundation.
His simple message that “anything is possible if you really stick at it” made him an inspirational winner — but the softly-spoken teenager was humble as always as he accepted his award.
“When I was going through all this I just wanted to get better so I could play ... with all my mates and the support I had the whole way, that’s what helped me get through.”
Football prodigy Ellie Carpenter took out the overall NewsLocal Junior Sports Star medal.
‘It’s scary’: Speed race has SailGP guns on edge
SailGP gun Kyle Langford has given an insight into the wet, wild and high risk speed chase that could see 100km/h broken on Sydney Harbour – and the fear and pain involved.
Thanks Kylie! How old soaps playing role in Aussie SailGP success
Soaps Neighbours and Home and Away - and a British Olympian who watched them - are strangely playing a part in the resurgence of the Aussie crew in the SailGP series hitting Sydney at speed.