Update on Outline of project with team members

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Forward Journey
Avoca Beach SLSC Addit to Outline of project:

For the trip in July 2007 life saving equipment has been kindly donated by NSW Fire Brigade - 12 oxyvivas; rescue and racing boards from Greg Bennett and various Central Coast surf clubs; rescue boogie boards by Nick Mesritz; resuscitation mannequins by the NSW ambulance service; clothing by Good Gear, SLSNSW, SLSCC, and Avoca Beach SLSC as well as rescue tubes from SLSA, and other equipment which will be given to assist the Thai people to set up surf life saving in their country.


The Team

John Mitchell - Project Manager, Building Liaison Officer

John is our Project Manager and a Master Builder. He is a Life Member and Vice President of Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club and has been an active member of the surf club for 43 years. John holds Bronze Medallion, Advanced Resuscitation and First Aid certificates and a Level 1 coaching certificate. John has won a number of State and National medals in individual and team events as well as in surf boat rowing.
John has recently built the community a new state of the art surf club. John holds a Centenary of Federation
Australian Flag
Medal for his organisation of the “Rowing Sturt’s Steps” project which involved the rowing of a surf boat down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers in 1999 and 2001. John is married with six children - his family, including grandchildren, are all members of the surf club.

Alistair (Slim) Peebles - Team Manager

Slim joined Avoca Beach SLSC in 1973 and was an active patrolling member for eighteen years. He was one of the first to gain an IRB Driver’s Bronze. Slim has gained over 14 Surf Life Saving awards and has been Club Captain, Branch Superintendent, Manager of Competition and a Member of the Board of Examiners. Slim is a Life Member of Avoca Beach Surf Lifesaving Club and has recently been granted Life Membership of the Central Coast Branch of Surf Life Saving. Slim has been a successful IRB competitor, Manager of club, branch and state teams touring within Australia and Overseas.


Stuart Harvey - Chief Trainer and Assessor

Stuart has been a member of SLSA for 31 years. He gained his Surf Bronze in 1985 and also holds many other Lifesaving awards including the Gold Medallion. Stuart is a current facilitator in all Silver Medallion Courses offered by SLSA.
Stuart has been a member of the Board Of Directors of Surf Life Saving Central Coast for 10 years and is currently the Director of Lifesaving.
Stuart was awarded the Silver Medallion for Bravery from SLSA in 2005 following a heroic rescue in extremely dangerous seas. The award is the highest bravery award offered by SLSA. He was also awarded the highest Bravery award from International Lifesaving being the first person in its history to gain this award. Stuart is a school teacher and in his spare time enjoys training for and participating in triathlons.


Tiffany McClymont (nee Braund) - First Aid Instructor

Tiffany has been an active member of Avoca Beach and Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Clubs for the past 12 years. She gained her Bronze Medallion in 1995 and has represented Avoca Beach SLSC in the 2004 Interstate Championships and in that year was in the Open Women’s Surf Boat crew that was placed second in the State and Australian Surf Life Saving Championships. Tiffany is a keen runner and was placed 16th in the 2006 Gold Coast Marathon and has competed in running events ranging from 21 to 100km. Tiffany is an Ambulance Officer in the Ambulance Service of NSW and is a qualified Hospital Scientist in Haematology and Cytogenetics. Tiff has recently married and enjoys running, rowing, outrigger canoe paddling and long walks on the beach at sunset!

Craig Anderson - Chief Trainer and Assessor

Craig has been a member of Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club for 18 years. Craig holds his Bronze Medallion, IRB Drivers Licence, Senior First Aid, ARC and Defibrillation awards. He is a Trainer and Assessor and is actively involved with the training of new candidates for their surf awards and certificates. Craig has been a Patrol Captain for 12 years.

Craig is a keen surfer and fisherman and works as a builder and TAFE teacher. He loves Thai food and is keen to foster good relationships with the Thai people to establish the culture of Surf Life Saving in their country.


Stephen Jelfs - Logistics and Finance

Steve qualified as a volunteer surf life saver in 1991 with Copacabana Surf Life Saving Club. He has been a member of Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club since 1994 and has been the Club's Director of Finance for 8 years. He is responsible for the Thailand teams' Finances & Logistics.

Steve works as a Facilities Coordinator for WorkCover NSW and enjoys rugby and keeping fit. He is married to Leanne and has two sons Mark & Brett.


Chris Parker - Education Officer

Surf Life Saving is Chris’s life! Chris has been a member of Surf Life Saving Australia since he was 5 years old when he first joined as a nipper. He has patrolled Avoca Beach for 10 years and has been a Patrol Captain for the past 3 years. Chris has also worked as a Council Lifeguard for 3 years and is currently employed as the Support Officer for Surf Life Saving Central Coast. Chris has won numerous State and Australian Titles including Australian Junior Ironman and Surf Swim Titles. He was also contracted by Kellogg’s Nutri-grain for 4 years as a professional Ironman in the National Surf League.
Chris is looking forward to travelling to Thailand to share his love of the ocean and assist in the introduction of the fun culture of surf life saving.


Karen Douglas - Team Medical Officer

Karen joined Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club in 1986 when she gained her Bronze Medallion. Since then Karen has gained a number of awards including ARC, Defibrillator and Spinal Management certificates. Karen has been the First Aid Officer for the club over the last 8 years and is an active Masters’ Competitor in individual surf events as well as surf boat rowing.
Karen is a local General Practitioner working in the local communities of Avoca Beach and Terrigal. She is actively involved in the promotion of good health and illness prevention and is a member of a national committee for the setting of Quality in Health and Practice Standards and Accreditation for Australian General Practice.


Darren Clarke - Education Officer

Darren has worked as a Professional Lifeguard for over 6 years and has also been a Patrol Captain for Avoca Beach SLSC for 5 years. Darren has held the awards of Patrolman and Junior Clubman of the Year and holds numerous SLSA certificates and awards. He also enjoys surf lifesaving competition, in which he is a former Australian Champion and State Representative.

Darren is in his final years of university studies to become a lawyer.


Melinda Macpherson - Media Officer and Publicity

Mel is a freelance cameraman and editor with a thirst for adventure. Specialising in surf and snow media, Mel shoots with her water camera for sporting events such as the Nutri-Grain Iron Man Series over summer and films snow reports and events in the Australian Snowy Mountains during winter.

Mel has been an active member of Avoca Beach and Bilgola Surf Life Saving Clubs and has been in the winning crews of the Open Women's Surf Boat Championships at the last four Australian titles. Mel has recently been recognised in the ASRL Hall of Fame for her achievements.


Bradley Cox - Building Officer

Brad has been an active member of Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club for 6 years and a nipper at nearby Copacabana. He has won Gold and Bronze medals in the Open Men’s Surf Boats at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships. As a carpenter, Brad was a major contributor to the recent renovations and building of the new Avoca Beach Surf Club.
Brad has been a volunteer in the Rural Fire Brigade and has played Rugby Union for Avoca Beach for 20 years. He has been in the Central Coast representative side for Rugby from 1996 - 2003 and has coached the Under 16 Avoca team.
Brad enjoys keeping fit and has interests in snowboarding, mountain biking and making furniture.


Ken Iles - First Aid Instructor

Ken is an Ambulance Officer and Paramedic. He specialises in Casualty Access and Aeromedical Care. Ken holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Major in Pre-Hospital Care). Ken is a qualified First Aid instructor.
Ken has been awarded a National Medal for Brave Conduct for abseiling into a flooded gorge to retrieve a bushwalker with a broken ankle and a State Medal for Meritorious Service (Bravery) for being lowered into an unstable sand cave to resuscitate a boy who was in cardiac arrest after the sand caved in on him.
Ken is married with two children and has recently joined Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club to assist in the provision of professional first aid training

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