ROAD TO GAMES GLORY

Some of the Gold Coast’s finest who will carry the Queen’s baton on its journey to the city’s Commonwealth Games in April next year

HARRISON TIPPETT

One of the youngest baton bearers at just 17, the Gold Coast teen is no stranger to honours. At just 15 he received a State Government Citizenship Award. He recently received the McPherson Community Young Achievers 2017 Award for volunteering twice for the Agoonoree scout camp for youth with special needs. He’s also a Rural Fire Brigage volunteer and has done three Kokoda Challenges.

LORRAINE HATTON

The Quandamooka woman’s achievements are many. She played squash and was an athlete for the Army at national level, served 20 years in the military, and was the first female communications manager in Afghanistan. She is a mentor with the Preston Campbell Foundation, co-chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Memorial Committee and spokesperson for indigenous people.

JIM PURDON

A founding member of the Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club back in 1959, he still chips in 50 hours plus each season as a volunteer on the beach. Not bad at 75. The former club captain and president said he felt very lucky with his life, which had been a marvellous journey. Being a baton bearer was “a great honour and a great privilege — I always believed in the aims of the Commenwealth community”.

JILL RANSOM

A committed, compassionate community stalwart who devotes her time to those less fortunate. She has visited the Mudgeeraba Caravan Park weekly for a decade and the Christmas Day lunch she helps put on out there this year will be her 10th. She also leads Princess for a Day which pampers and supports local women in need. “I love anyone who no one else loves ... and sit and talk with them.”

SAMANTHA RILEY

(Pictured left, with cyclist Katrin Garfoot) the champion swimmer won Olympic silver (4X100m relay) and two Olympic bronze (100m breaststroke) in the 1990s. She discovered indigenous heritage in 2001 after determined research by her mother Lin, making her the first Australian indigenous athlete to win an Olympic medal. She is a two-time individual world champion breaststroker and won three 1994 Commonwealth Games golds. The committed Gold Coast mother of three is also a Gold Coast Suns board member. Being named a 2018 Commonwealth Games baton bearer brought back “wonderful memories” from her competitive career, she said. “I feel like I’m a working mum juggling a lot of different balls and you forget about your previous life. Reminders like this make you a bit sentimental about 20 years ago, how much fun it was and the sense of achievement back then.”

MARIE BENNETTS

At 78, the Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club stalwart of 37 years still serves as club historian and a volunteer. “I started at Kurrawa as a nipper — it’s been our life.” She serves as a Justice of the Peace, was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2009 for lifesaving and has fought off cancer. Being selected as a baton bearer is “the best thing to ever happen to me. At my stage it’s amazing, I’m thrilled”.

MATHEW BELCHER

Fresh off winning his seventh 470 Olympic class sailing World Championship title in eight years, Belcher has his sights on Olympic gold again at the 2020 Games. He won gold in the 470 sailing class at the 2012 London Olympics and silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “I’m super proud to be chosen and proud especially to have the Games in my home city where I grew up. It’s going to be huge.”

PERRY CROSS

Inspriational founder of Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation. It supports Griffith University stem cell research work by reigning Australian of the Year, Professor Alan MacKay-Sim. Mr Cross, paralysed in 1994 playing rugby aged 19, was “humbled” to be a baton bearer. He hopes to see rugby sevens at the Games and says “things happen in life, you just have to deal with it, you can’t be down”.

COURTNEY HANCOCK

The Perth native moved to the Gold Coast soon after high school to chase her ironwoman dreams. She has notched up three Kelloggs NutriGrain Professional Ironwoman Series titles, has represented Australia around the world and this month claimed her third Coolangatta Gold. “I found out after winning the Coolangatta Gold. I was on cloud nine and still am,” she said of being a baton bearer.