Father’s Day is Sunday 4 September, and a local community coach and dad has been nominated for the tenth annual Phillips Community Sports Dad of the Year.  A Kiama dad Lachlan Payne was wonderfully surprised by his wife Sherrie Paynen on the footy field during training and The Bugle was right on the spot at the Kiama showground when Sherrie told him he had been nominated for Community Sports Dad of the Year on Friday 18th August 2023. Every athlete has a story about who has supported them over the years. In many cases this has been a parent, coach or community volunteer who has committed to championing community sports from the sidelines or behind the scenes. Lachlan clearly has been that person for very many players over a long time period. Lachlan is the coach of three rugby league girls teams for the Kiama Knights, the U16s, the U14s, and U12s. He has three daughters who play for the teams, Charlotte Payne (U16), Eadie Payne (U14), and Jimmi Payne (U12). Two teams have progressed to Grand Finals next week on Saturday 26 August and the third is in a final a week earlier on Saturday 19 August.  Lachlan is the current club vice president of the Kiama Knights and been a committee member for many years and well known for being up for any job, whether for canteen or ground manager, to BBQ or first aid.  Sherrie said “My husband Lachlan has been coaching many teams for years and he deserves the recognition.” Damien Cook, Rabbitohs and NSW Origin star won the 2022 Celebrity Sports Dad of the Year award. He knows first-hand the support he received from his own dad growing up and aspires to do the same with his kids, Willow and Jagger. “Speaking from experience with my own dad when I was younger, community dads are so important with the roles they cover - from being a coach, setting up fields, refereeing and driving us to and from training and on-game days.  “My dad did this all while working full time and then worked overtime just to earn the extra time off to be able to get me to and from my commitments and be there to support me. I’ll always be grateful for that.” Submissions for YOUR nomination close at midnight AEST on Tuesday, 22 August 2023 so get in quick! To nominate a community sports dad, submit 100 words on why they should win via www.sportsdads.com.au The winner will be notified prior to Father’s Day, Sunday, 3 September, with the prize pack including a Philips male grooming pack valued at over $1,000 RRP, as well as a $5,000 Rebel Sports voucher to purchase new clothing or sporting equipment for the community sports club of choice. Those who nominate the successful dad will also have the chance to win a Philips OneBlade Pro ahead of Father’s Day. 

Kiama Downs resident, Kellie Hanson, has just returned from an amazing fortnight at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin.Once every four years, in the year prior to the Olympics, 7000 athletes with an intellectual disability from 190 countries, gather together to compete in the games competed in 26 sports. It is the largest humanitarian event to take place in the world. Kellie was selected as an Assistant to the Australian Women’s Basketball Team which won the Bronze Medal. “I was super excited to be one of only six officials from NSW, to be selected to be part of the team representing Australia at the games,” Kellie said.Being Kiama born and bred this was something she had long dreamed of but never believed she could attain. As the Chairperson for Special Olympics in the Illawarra, she said“I am absolutely passionate about Special Olympics and the sporting opportunities it provides for athletes with an intellectual disability. The World Games is the pinnacle for these athletes.”Kellie was part of the team for Women’s basketball and has spent the last six months preparing the athletes for the challenge of travelling to Berlin, with some athletes never having travelled overseas before, and some had never been away from their families for any length of time. She said, “The time spent in preparation faded into insignificance when we all met at Brisbane Airport, where the excitement and anticipation was palpable.”The Opening Ceremony will forever be embedded in all their memories. Walking through the tunnel under the stadium as the 64 Australian athletes thunderously chanted “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” and sang “Come on Aussie come on”, just cannot be put into words. Then the athletes entered the Berlin Stadium, the same Olympic Stadium that hosted the 1936 Olympic Games.“All I can say is Wow!” Kellie enthuses, “I spotted my husband and daughter in the packed stadium, and I became a jumping mad woman, so humbled to be part of a life changing journey.”This was the start of the Games and memories to last a lifetime. Our Women’s Basketball team played their hearts out. Preliminary games saw them win 3 of 5 games. In their third-round game against Azerbaijan, they needed to win by 5 points to take them to the gold medal match, but in one of the roughest games that Kellie has ever witnessed in 45 years of basketball, our women were battered and bruised with the Azerbaijan team recording 27 fouls, 5 technical fouls and having two of their players ejected from the game!The Australian Women's Basketball TeamThe Australian Team won by 4 and were relegated to the bronze medal match. Our girls were disappointed but rose to the challenge. They got away to a great start, but Kazakhstan came back resulting in a draw at full time. They were neck and neck in extra time, until, with 9 seconds on the clock, one of our girls was fouled, resulting in 2 free throws, both of which she sank, to steal the win!“The Aussie crowd erupted, the screams and tears were let loose, and the rest is history.” Kellie says “I can't really put into words what the whole experience was like. Travelling with any team is a challenge, but when all the athletes have an intellectual disability, the challenges are absolutely increased. But the joy and excitement totally outweigh any obstacles we faced.”After a well-deserved holiday, Kellie will return to weekly training and supporting our Illawarra athletes, but with an eye to the future and four years' time, she can only dream of the next world games.The Bugle would like to congratulate the team and acknowledge the hard work and dedication that it takes to win a medal at the Olympics.

Rita Sullivan is a specialist. Her lingerie shop in Kiama provides a much-needed service to ladies who have undergone breast cancer surgery and need to adjust to the physical and emotional challenges that brings. The compassionate and knowledgeable staff are dedicated to assisting women rediscover their femininity and confidence by embracing the changes to their body with love and acceptance. How? The Knickerboxers store has an extensive range of post-surgery bras, pocketed mastectomy bras and breast forms to suit all clients. Their trusted suppliers prioritise comfort, quality, and style to ensure that clients can have access to the best possible options. The products are designed to enhance clients’ natural shape and provide gentle support, and above all boost self-confidence. “We are retired registered nurses; therefore, we have a unique insight into the challenges women face following all kinds of breast surgery.” Rita says. “We are known for our extensive range of sizes - from A cups to K cups!”Rita and her team offer personalised fittings to ensure that each garment fits perfectly. The skilled fitters have extensive experience working with women who have had breast cancer surgery and they take the time to understand the unique needs and preferences of every client. This is in an environment where clients feel safe, supported, and empowered.A small number of women in Fiji that have undergone breast cancer surgery.“Comfort is our mantra,” Rita remarks. “We recommend regular bra fittings for all women.”The Knickerboxers team travel widely to support women who cannot visit the Kiama shop and often have fitting events in Bowral, Ulladulla, Narooma, and Shoalhaven. Rita says. “Age, health, and the tyranny of distance can make it difficult for women to come to Kiama. Our next event is 25 & 26th July in Narooma. Bookings are essential.”Heather Tait from Rita’s team also visits Fiji on a regular basis offering this same service to ladies who need help. “Knickerboxers collects second hand breast forms and bras in good condition and Heather takes them to Fiji for the women following surgery,” Rita reveals, “They get no assistance in Fiji.”Rita holds a breast form that will go into a pocketed mastectomy bra.Anyone needing Rita’s expertise and advice is welcome to contact her directly on (02) 4232 1196 or visit the Knickerboxers shop at 88 Terralong Street, Kiama.Find her under the lights after her Kiama Community Radio debut.

Kiama’s next motocross champion Jack Nunn is flying to Romania in July to compete in the 2023 World Junior Motocross Championships. The 14-year-old recently placed second for the NSW and Australia titles, which qualified him to represent Australia in the 85cc category between 7th and 9th in Bucharest.  The Australian team will be led by professional coach Ross Beaton. CEO of Motocross Australia Peter Doyle congratulated Jack and all of the other riders chosen to represent Australia. “Do us proud and enjoy every moment. With Ross Beaton as Team Manager, I have no doubt that this team will excel.” Even though Jack is part of the Australian team, riders compete in each event as individuals. Jack won’t have to wait long for his next big race. The family will travel straight from Bucharest to Darwin to the Australian Junior Nationals, where Jack was recently selected to represent NSW. Jack’s dad, Michael, says the family are very happy to be rewarded with the opportunity for Jack to compete on a global stage. He wants to thank everyone who has supported him on his journey.Longtime supporters of Jack, BBR 102 motorsports team, have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help fund the trip. Including the cost of flights, accommodation, bikes and other related expenses, the trip will cost approximately $25,000, which a small amount has already been covered for by Motorcycling Australia. Anyone who would like to help Jack can contribute at https://www.gofundme.com/f/2023-world-junior-motocross-campaign

Brett Connellan’s documentary Attacking Life – which captures his inspiring journey to recovery after a life threatening shark attack – is debuting on Stan this Thursday 9 March after three years in the making.  The local surfer started as a motivational speaker four months after the 2016 attack on Bombo Beach and has been telling his story ever since. It wasn’t until Brett and friend Sam Tolhurst made an introductory video for his talks that they decided his story deserved a full feature in order to do it justice.While his motivational speaking tells the story through his own perspective, the documentary offers new angles from his parents, the people who saved his life on the beach, his surgeon and physio. It features the Moloka’i 2 O’ahu challenge Brett conquered last year, which involved a 54km ocean paddle between two islands in Hawaii. “A lot of the things that I experienced throughout the recovery applied to the paddle itself as it was both a physical and mental challenge,” Brett says. “It was also a good way to prove my attitude towards sharks which is one that is filled with respect and is very positive despite what's happened.”  With a single minded goal in life to use his experience to help others, Brett hopes the documentary will do just that. “When people go through challenges in life, it is easy to focus on the negative. I want to get people to look at struggle differently,” he says. “Whilst it’s easy to look at a negative experience like a shark attack, for me it was more of a positive experience especially looking back on it with the things I’ve learnt and the experiences I’ve gained.”While watching his story, Brett wants others to draw out their own experiences and use them as an inspiration to overcome the challenges that lie ahead.  “Everyone has their own version of that shark attack. People should seek inspiration from their own stories and not necessarily mine because I’m just a regular person that something very irregular happened to,” he says.You can hear him talk at Werri Beach as part of Gerringong’s SurfLife Music Festival on 1 April.

Kiama Preschool teacher Lindy Verryt is this month celebrating 40 years of teaching generations of our little ones.She says that one of the reasons she has stayed at this preschool for so long is because of the “lovely staff I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years”.“People who come to this preschool stay,” says Lindy (known to all as Lindy Lou). “It’s a not-for-profit community-based school and all the teachers here work for the benefit of the children. In fact, most of the kids here think we teachers actually live at the preschool!”Two of the current staff members, Shayd Flegg, 25, and Marli Delfino, 17, are former students of Lindy’s, as are many of the parents. Lindy has seen many changes in the school – when she started the playground was just a vast space with some tiny trees and not much else. Now the trees provide shade for the kids, there are chickens, an award-winning vegetable garden, climbing frames and a wooden boat sailing in a stone river.“Kiama has really changed over those years, from a country town to the little metropolis that it now is. “The other major change is that both parents are working so this school is often not the first one the children have been to. So, we don’t have to ply them off their parents at the gate as they suffer from separation anxiety. “We used to stand at that gate and say, ‘mum and dad will be back soon’ and then we would distract them by saying, ‘look at those horses up on the hill’. Well now the horses are gone and it’s all houses instead!”Shayd says that what has stayed the same over the years is the community aspect of this school. “There have been so many changes in the wider aspect of education. We are very up to date with our professional development, reporting and parent interaction here, but the strong sense of community is still the same.” Marli says that while there were no chickens when she was here as a student, “We are strong on environmental and sustainable learning, looking after and being respectful of the world.”

If you thought Kiama’s hills were difficult to climb, how would you like to traverse 8,848 metres to the top of Mt Everest? Well, one Kiama resident has done just that. John Dover reached the summit of Mt Everest on 17 May after a one-and-a-half month journey, but his obsession with climbing the world’s tallest mountain started in earnest back in 2017.Kerry brought husband John on a trip to Nepal to travel to the Everest Base Camp, a 12-day round trip and the final stop before mountaineers make for the summit. Once they arrived, John told Kerry, “Well, that’s great that we’re here but if I’m standing here, then really I want to be at the top.” John, who is a helicopter pilot Lieutenant Commander in the Australian Defence Force, signed himself up for all the mountaineering and climbing courses he could as soon as the couple returned home.  Over the next few years, he took on climbing some of the world’s tallest peaks in preparation, including Mt Cook in New Zealand, Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America, Mont Blanc in the Alps and Nepal’s Ama Dablam, known as a “mountaineers mountain.” John went back to the Everest Base Camp as soon as he could, and spent two weeks with Kerry trekking to acclimatise to the high altitude. Before climbing Everest, however, the group climbed a 6,119 metre mountain called Lobouche as additional training. Talk about a warm up!After a second acclimation mission through the Khumbu icefalls, the group, which included two Americans, a Cuban, lead guide and three sherpas, had to wait for a 7-8 day gap of clear weather before they made the ascent safely. Such a gap appeared on 12 May, and the group set off at midnight. While the Cuban mountaineer became the first from his country to climb Everest, not everyone in the group was so lucky. One of the other climbers, one of the Americans, suffered a stroke at 8,000 metres on the way back down, and was carried back to camp before being helivaced to a hospital in Kathmandu. Thankfully, he is doing fine now, and is waiting to fly back home when he can. While surviving relatively unscathed, even John still suffered from a small bout of frostbite on his feet but feels fortunate to have made it without anything worse happening.  This year has been particularly deadly for Everest climbers, with 12 reported deaths and five others still missing, along with the countless rescue missions that take place. So, if you’re a Kiama resident thinking of making the climb, stay safe and rug up! Have a story you’d like to share? Tell us about it brendon@thebuglenewspaper.com.au

Today marks a very special milestone for a Uniting Mayflower resident, Gwen Wilson, who is celebrating her 103rd birthday.Gwen has called Gerringong home for over 45 years, living on Werri Beach in a house built with her late husband, David, until she was 100 years old.She has been visiting the town since 1957 when she and David, with her twin sister Jeane and her husband, built a holiday home.“We were down here just about every weekend and all school holidays," says Gwen, who has two daughters Janice and Judith.“It was a wonderful lifestyle and the kids loved it. They made friends down here and so did we."The four were founding members of the Gerringong Bowling Club and did volunteer work in the kitchen.“Other than being the family taxi driver, I didn’t have time for anything else, I was too busy playing bowls."Gwen and David celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.Gwen and David were married for 58 years. “When he asked me to marry him, I thought, ‘well, he’s too nice to let go so I’ll have to say yes’."Her tip for a long and healthy life is an unconventional one; “I always say it’s sunshine – because I used to bake myself – and salt water”.Although Gabby, the cook at Mayflower, believes it’s her bacon and egg breakfast she cooks her; “That’s how she got to be 103."As children, Gwen and Jeane spent a lot of time on the beach, where Gwen later took up surfing on the old blow up ‘Surf-o-Planes’.“I surfed down at Gerroa, even when I was quite old when no one was around. I was just an ordinary run of the mill.”When asked what her hobbies are now, she said, “Well, I’ve got an iPad”.“I’m never bored. I do jigsaw puzzles and solitaire on my iPad and when that’s charging, I read books or I watch my electric photo frame which goes round and round.”Gwen with her five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren celebrated her milestone on Sunday with a traditional espresso martini in hand.“On my 99th birthday, Danny [at Gerringong Bowling Club] put this martini in front of me.“Well, every birthday since, I’ve had one. I love them.”

Kiama’s love affair with ball sports is well-documented, but there’s a wealth of athletic success stories from lesser-known sports happening all the time.One of those recent success stories is 14-year-old motocross rider Jack Nunn, who is poised to become one of Australia’s best riders if his recent track record keeps up.Jack recently came within mere points of winning the Australian motocross title for his age bracket, placing second in NSW and Australia, and is waiting to see whether he’s qualified for the World Motocross Junior World Event in Romania in July this year.Jack’s passion for riding started when he received a bike at just five or six.“It was a little Chinese-made 50cc and it just grew from there. Dad’s always been into bikes so I was always looking at them anyway.”Around three years ago, Jack was lucky enough to be introduced to Matt Moss, a nine-time Australian motocross champion, who took him under his wing and began coaching him.From then on, Jack’s loved everything about motocross. “It’s everything really. Adrenaline, the support you get and you find out who supports you and it makes you grateful for that. Mum and Dad always have my back. I can’t put my finger on one thing.”Jack’s parents, Claire and Michael, are 100% supportive of their son’s dreams to make it as a motocross rider, but it’s not always easy keeping that dream alive on the South Coast of NSW.“It’s nowhere near as popular as football,” Claire told The Bugle. “There’s certainly a motocross community but you do have to travel if you want to be good at the sport to find the best tracks.” Jack says the best tracks closeby are in Nowra and Wollongong, but the most popular track is in Oakdale, a 90 minute drive from Kiama.That hasn’t slowed Jack down whatsoever, and the local community has pitched in where they can to help promote his races.“The very first person to give us any assistance was Kiama Cellars, which was right before the 2019 Australian titles,” Jack’s dad Michael told The Bugle.“We got some posters made up, which Red Rooster paid for and some of the local shops put up posters in their windows. The owner of Kiama Cellars gave Jack $50 on the spot, and that was the first time anybody believed in us to financially support us.”Jack’s also earned himself a handful of sponsors, his main sponsor being Pascall Plumbing and Excavations based in Nowra.His sights are firmly set on taking out the NSW and Australian titles next year, but as for the distant future, Jack wants to be a successful rider in the United States, the biggest market for the sport.He wouldn’t be the first successful Australian motocross champion in the states though; Jack looks up to brothers Jett and Hunter Lawrence, who have recently found success riding in America.“I’ve always had idols like Eli Tomac, but to have a couple of Aussies go over there and start killing it has been an inspiration that Aussies can make it over there and do well,” Jack says.