From the time he first pulled on his Ocean Beach Nipper cap Matthew Calbert was hooked on the ocean, and now the talented teenager has one more feather to add to his considerable resume after he was crowned the Young Lifesaver of the Year.
The young man received his honour at the annual Awards of Excellence last weekend and it was the culmination of a busy 12 months for someone who consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty.
“It’s such a surreal feeling to win this award as I never imagined something like this could happen,” Calbert said.
“I really love surf lifesaving it’s such an amazing movement to be part of and I certainly recommend it to anyone. You meet great people, get qualifications, and so many different memorable experiences.”
A highlight was his elevation to patrol captain at his beloved club, where his vigilance paid off when he was involved in a successful board rescue of two young children who had got into difficultly off the beach.
Apart from his club duties where he holds the position of First Aid Officer, Matthew is a surf education instructor, and facilitated at the City to Country Lifesaving Exchange.
In his spare time he obtained even more awards and in the past 12 months alone he has acquired his Rescue Watercraft Operator Certificate, Pain Management Certificate, Offshore Rescue Boat Crew Certificate and his Assessor Certificate.
“I can’t thank the club enough for everything they have done for me. I was just a Nipper competitor who wasn’t the best at surf sport but I got in and had a go. One day they introduced me to first aid and everything I have achieved has flown on from that moment,” he said.
The 2018 SLSNSW Awards of Excellence are proudly supported by Port Authority of New South Wales with almost 400 of Surf Life Saving’s most outstanding lifesavers, athletes, educators, coaches, and administrators from around the state gathering at Dockside, Cockle Bay to celebrate the season that was.
For a full list of all the winners, and to see photographs from the night, please visit the SLSNSW Awards of Excellence Event Page or our social media channels
Wednesday 29 August 2018