Chair of Calisthenics, Board Member & Volunteer
Calisthenics is not always just something you do – it can seep into your soul and become part of who you are. It teaches you discipline and teamwork, it aids development of gross and fine motor skills, it gives you the confidence to get up and perform on stage, and it gives you the opportunity to shine. And it gives you great friends.
My calisthenics journey has spanned several phases and many decades, beginning in Tinies at Heatherene back in the 1970s, through my 20 years at Regent where I gained my Bronze and Silver medals, moving to Ballarat and sadly retiring from competition, becoming a loyal audience member at the RSSS comps, becoming a cali mum in 2005, acting as section manager, club secretary, and Masters team member for 12 years, all whilst doing stints as a calisthenics writer for 30+ years. I began volunteering at the RSSS Competitions around 2006, and have assisted across several disciplines as either a writer, stage manager, usher, on registration or ticket sales. I joined the RSSS Board of Directors in 2018, and having been a member of the RSSS Calisthenics Committee for several years, taking on the role of Chair of that committee at the end of 2019, and battling our way through the Covid years.
The RSSS comps hold many special (and funny) memories as a competitor, as a volunteer and as a mum … among the best are being mid-performance and watching in horror as one of our elephants wandered off the front of the stage into the net over the orchestra pit; enjoying watching the oh-so-excited competitors arrive for their day in the spotlight, and being so very proud of my daughter’s achievements.
As Royal South Street volunteers, we are there to make every competitors’ day special. The Ballarat comp day is the biggest day of their calisthenics year, they’ve worked hard, they are excited, they are proud of their team, and they all want to hear their number called out in the results. There will be tears of joy, and undoubtedly tears of despair, but it’s our job as volunteers to help make it a fabulous experience for them regardless of the result. We should wear our RSSS shirts with pride, and be the polite, friendly and helpful people I know we are.
