Youth Lifesaver of the Year Angus McMillan (Scarboro SLSC) with Jacqueline Connolly.
Camera IconYouth Lifesaver of the Year Angus McMillan (Scarboro SLSC) with Jacqueline Connolly. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

WA’s best recognised at Surf Life Saving WA’s Awards of Excellence

Laura PondJoondalup Times

WA’S best surf lifesavers have been recognised at Surf Life Saving WA’s (SLSWA) annual Awards of Excellence.

Fremantle’s Liam Burke and Mullaloo’s Andrew Manning were joint winners of lifesaver of the year, while Scarboro surf club’s Angus McMillan took out the youth lifesaver award.

Jackson Symonds, from Sorrento, won athlete of the year for the fourth time following his historic fourth Australian title in the open beach sprint at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

He and youth athlete winner Jake Smith, from Trigg Island surf club, have been selected in the national lifesaving team.

Trigg’s open male taplin relay team was named best surf sports team, while Floreat’s men’s IRB assembly race team of 1996-2000 was inducted into the sporting hall of fame.

Floreat also took home best administrator for Ros Blair and young achiever of the year for Samantha McIntyre, and coach of the year went to Sorrento’s Jenny Plint.

Mullaloo won four awards on the night; patrol club of the year, Sandy Clarke was named best official and volunteer, and Mark Hills named best assessor.

Other award winners were Denmark (club of the year), City of Perth’s Jade Mickle (Bernie Kelly Medal), North Cottesloe’s Kate Bonner (support operations volunteer) and Domenic Cowdell (trainer), and Smiths Beach president Keith Warrick and Swanbourne Nedlands received the President’s Medal.

SLSWA president Craig Smith-Gander said volunteer surf lifesavers spent more than 119,000 hours patrolling beaches, performing 550 rescues, 2842 first aids and 14750 preventative actions during the 2017-18 season.

“It is about celebrating all the volunteers who are the lifeblood of this great movement,” he said.

“These people are the everyday heroes of our beaches, all of whom commit countless hours of service to uphold our mission of saving lives and creating great communities.”

MORE: WA ideal home for Australian National Space Agency

MORE: Dog cruelty case so gruesome magistrate refuses to look at photos; Girrawheen owner fined and banned from owning pet

MORE: Man dies after car crashes into house in Waikiki

MORE: As Perth Children’s Hospital opens, we look back at Princess Margaret Hospital