Poet, surf lifesaving stalwart, selfie master and now OAM, Ross Taylor. Photo: Ross Taylor.
If your swim club doesn’t have a poet laureate, you’re missing out.
Ross Taylor has been memorialising the adventures of the Austinmer Early Morning Swimmers Club since 2008.
“I have a habit of noticing things, recording them, and at our end-of-year gathering in November, I have a poem to read to people,” he said.
“They generally like it and laugh, which is the whole point.”
The 80-year-old has recently published a book of his poems, Surf, Sand and Scenery, but that isn’t his only recent achievement.
Ross recently received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in recognition of a lifetime’s service to surf lifesaving in the Illawarra.
A lifetime member of Thirroul and Coalcliff clubs, Ross said he took part in his first surf club event aged five, a pool race.
It was a time well before Nippers, but Ross went on to do his resuscitation certificate at the age of 11, and qualified as a surf lifesaver as soon as he could.
He remained a member of the Coalcliff club until his children were old enough to do Nippers, which was only available at Thirroul.
He has held several positions at both clubs over the years, in addition to helping out with events and fundraisers, and has been an active competitor all his life.
Despite this dedication, he said it was a shock to find out he had been nominated for an OAM.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got the letter,” he said.
“I thought if somebody went to the trouble of submitting my name, I had to do the right thing and say yes.
“They did all the hard work, I’ve just been enjoying myself.”
Ross said the fitness and camaraderie with club members kept him coming back over the years.
So did the support of his wife, Bette, who died five years ago.
“She allowed me to do it all and she supported me, so the award is as much hers as it is mine,” he said.
“It’s a real team effort, and I’m disappointed she’s not here today to get the honours that go with it.”
Ross and Bette met as schoolchildren, began dating in their teens and were married shortly after, when Ross turned 21.
They went on to have two children together, and after Ross retired they were able to spend 13 years caravanning around Australia together.
During his retirement, Ross also decided to become a professional athlete.
“I’ve always been a swimmer, I was in the water all the time. Growing up, we had the ocean as our front yard and the escarpment as our backyard,” he said.
“I always wanted to get a branch medal. I got a lot of fourths, but never a medal, so as soon as they introduced the masters divisions in the early ’90s, I started training and competing lots.
“At my first masters carnival, I came home with six medals, including two gold for the surf race and the team race.
“You can only compete against the division you’ve got, and it’s amazing. There was a bloke I swam against for years, just knew him as ‘Jeff’.
“It turned out he was a three-time Australian open-surf champion, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’ve beaten that bloke’.
“I got so much enjoyment out of it and once you get your first medal, they become immaterial.
“I love the team events because you get to help people who wouldn’t get an individual medal, and the joy I get out of that was terrific too.”
Ross said his routine was “slack” now — he swims five mornings a week and gets out for a paddle on Saturday mornings with the other clubbies.
He said in addition to his competitive career, his proudest achievements were being named a life member at Thirroul at Coalcliff SLSCs.
“Coalcliff I felt like I earnt it, but Thirroul I’m still shaking my head,” he said.
“I don’t feel as though I’ve done anything, I’d just help when I could.”
Ross served as president, vice-president, deputy vice-president and delegate for Surf Life Saving Illawarra, as well as president, secretary, committee member and club captain of Coalcliff SLSC, and is currently publicity officer and club caretaker of Thirroul SLSC.
