Swimmer laps up Betano invitation
Sailors get fit while getting their 15 minutes
of fame
Bumper
sticker 101
 |
CRUISING:
Shane Gould onboard HMAS Betano to promote Good Beginnings
swim training sessions for primary school children.
|
|
Photo:
LAC Allan Cooper
|
By
LCDR Anthony Underwood
Triple Olympic gold medal swimmer Shane
Gould was guest of honour on board landing craft HMAS Betano
for a sunset harbour cruise off Darwin on May 8.
The cruise was to introduce the Darwin community, Defence
and business leaders to the work of the Good Beginnings Foundation.
About 70 guests were treated to a cocktail party, harbour
cruise and ceremonial sunset.
“It was a great occasion - a very different task for an LCH,”
said CO of Betano, LCDR Michael Oborn, whose ship’s company
is usually moving troops, military vehicles and earthmoving
equipment around the Top End, “but it was great to have Shane
on board for a Defence aid to the civil community (DACC) task
of this type.
“We considered it a very worthwhile activity ... and variety
is the spice of life.” Shane was declared an Australian National
Living Treasure in the original list in 1997.
She entered five events in the 1972 Munich Olympics scoring
three gold medals, one silver and a bronze and was the only
person ever to hold every world freestyle record from 100m
to 1500m simultaneously.
But she kept her swimming prowess away from the sharks, crocs
and stingers of Darwin Harbour for the day after the cruise
when she and partner, USA swim coach Milt Nelms, conducted
a Good Beginnings swim-training session for primary school
children at Palmerston Pool.
Good Beginnings’ work is carried out nationally.
It proceeds from the assumption that all children are entitled
to a good beginning in life. Some 600 trained volunteers across
Australia work to improve the start in life that children
in difficult circumstances receive.
Volunteers support families with babies aged from three to
12 months; conduct fathers’ programs at ante and post-natal
stages; organise ‘contact play and learn’ sessions for families
that don’t have day-to-day contact with their children; and
do prison programs (for children with parents behind bars)
in four states.
Good Beginnings is free of charge to all.
It is funded by all tiers of government, corporate sponsors
and philanthropic trusts.
Bumper
sticker 101
