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Wanda’s Jock Campbell is taking the sport of distance beach running to new heights creating a culture of success at his beloved Bate Bay club and earning him the coveted title of Coach of the Year at the 2017 NSW Surf Life Saving Awards of Excellence last Saturday night.

This season his 2 kilometre beach runners came home with some incredible results on the sand much to the delight of their mentor.



At the World Life Saving Championships, Aussie Titles, and NSW Championships his athletes won half of the gold medals on offer, while at the Sydney Branch Championships they won an incredible 62% of gold medals over the distance.



“Every season is a great season. My athletes have done really well this season achieving some magnificent results. In the 2 Kilometre Beach Run at the club we’ve grown from just the one competitor originally to a squad of 30 which is really pleasing,” said Jock Campbell.



“I’m really lucky to have the support of people at club level, through Branch and the World organisation who really support the event.”



Always keen to improve his own knowledge so he can help his athletes improve completed two high level qualifications last year.



Jock became the first ever beach coach to complete the Surf Life Saving Australia Performance Coaching Certificate; the highest Coaching Award in the country, while in December he completed the IAAF Level 4 Athletics Coaching Course.



Jock’s greatest strength is to develop his athletes not just as runners but as people and this is reflected by the high esteem in which he is held by those he has coached.



Although Jock is not one to seek accolades, his athletes all universally respect and admire him often looking to him as a mentor, friend as well as a coach.



The experienced coach perhaps sums it up best when asked what it all means to him. “I love sport. I really love helping people, watching sport and playing sport. I want to help them to become better athletes and guide them to better people,” he said.



The 2017 SLSNSW Awards of Excellence are proudly presented by Stramit Building Products. Over 300 of Surf Life Saving’s most outstanding lifesavers, athletes, educators, coaches, and administrators from around the state gathered at Sydney’s iconic The Hilton Hotel to celebrate the season that was.



 



Wednesday 9 August 2017