CLUBBIES CLEAN-UP
MATILDA Beikoff-Smart hasn’t saved a life yet, but she’s making it her mission to change lives.
The 14-year-old, who on Saturday night was named the Breaka U14 Junior Surf Lifesaver of the Year, has been a member of the Pacific Surf Life Saving Club for seven years.
The Palm Beach Currumbin State High School student volunteers on our beaches every weekend of the season and also works with children with disabilities who are afraid of the ocean.
Matilda said the Seahorse program – which helps disabled kids enjoy a day at the beach – was her favourite part of surf lifesaving.
“I get asked this question a lot and people expect me to say something crazy, but I love helping disabled kids enjoy a day at the beach, because that’s something everyone deserves,” she said.
“During one session, there was a nine-year-old girl who was too scared to go swimming in the ocean, but with a bit of encouragement and some laughing we managed to get her to say yes.”
Matilda also assists Chinese beachgoers, as she speaks Mandarin fluently.
The Queensland Surf Lifesaving Awards of Excellence were held in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Other Gold Coast winners were Pacific SLSC’s Rachael Clark, who was named Trainer of the Year, Harriet Brown of Northcliffe SLSC who was named Athlete of the Year, Ava Usher from Currumbin SLSC as Youth Athlete of the Year, and Lee Vrolyks from Northcliffe SLSC, Masters Athlete of the Year.
Nobby’s Beach SLSC won the Community Education Program of the Year and Scott Burgess was named Operations Support Member of the Year.
Bruce Stewart and Robert McIntosh were awarded the Jack Dearlove MBE Lifesaving Excellence Award for Outstanding Rescue in recognition of the successful rescue of two swimmers who had got into difficulty while swimming at Kurrawa Beach in February this year.