Age is no surf barrier
Lisa Furnell, 62, still making big waves as a life saver
Peopl“e give me comments all the time and come up to me and say ‘good luck’
Lisa Furnell, 62, is the oldest woman to take part in the 2023 Surf Woman of The Year program after Queensland Surf Life Saving Queensland removed its under-30 age restriction.
Lisa has been a member of Ayr’s Surf Life Saving since 1955 and is the club’s 51st member to participate in the program. She is also the first member to clock over 1,000 hours on patrol.
When her children joined Nippers as young lifesavers, Lisa thought she had what it took to compete at a senior level.
What started as an outlet for her competitive spirit, soon turned into a passion for teaching others about how to respect, enjoy and look after the ocean.
Lisa currently trains the Green Cups, a group of 6-7year-olds on surf awareness and lifesaving.
A day on patrol for Lisa involves setting up the flags for the public, dragging for jellyfish, and keeping an eye out for kids caught in rips or backpackers stuck on sandbars.
One day she caught nine box jellyfish but swears she “hasn’t seen one since.”
The Surf Woman of The Year Program promotes leadership skills and raises awareness for surf lifesaving and their clubs.
For Lisa, this has involved visiting local schools, spreading the word about surf lifesaving, finding new club members and fundraising. She even ran a crab race where all the winnings were donated back to the surf club.
Lisa said winning
Surf
Woman of the Year would “mean everything” as her age left her feeling “a bit out of place joining the program” but she wants to encourage other older lifesavers to get involved.
Lisa is thankful to Ayr SLSC and the local community who have been “so generous and encouraging.”
“People give me comments all the time and come up to me and say ‘good luck,’ Lisa said.
“We have the best community in Ayr,” she said.
If Lisa does win, she promises she will still be around as a lifesaver, patrolling the beach and helping out the local club.
The 2023 Surf Woman of The Year will be announced on May 13 at The Star Gold Coast.
Lisa Furnell