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ARV's Life Members for 2001 - Jill Mazzini (left) and Genevieve Lehmann (right) with ARV Chairman Andrew Hocking (far left) and Premier Ted Baillieu (far right)
Jill’s involvement in the area of aquatics and recreation dates back to when she joined the Half Moon Bay Life Saving Club at age 12. I wonder if she knew that when she looked after all the children during the summer school holidays by taking them to the beach to give them lessons on how to swim, that it would lead to a lifetime in this field.
Jill was the belt swimmer in the Reel and Line rescue team for the club and moved to St Kilda to also become their belt swimmer in the R & R events, as well as competing in swim-wades. Jill taught all her four children to swim at Half Moon Bay, then moved to Magnetic Island, Mildura, back to Melbourne and then returned to Mildura.
In 1976, Jill started teaching swimming with the local Mildura primary schools in their summer program. She did the original VICSWIM teacher Course September 1977, started taking VICSWIM holiday programs in 1979 and became a Regional Coordinator from 1981 to 1994. Jill stepped back in to help with VICSWIM again as a Regional Coordinator in the late 1990’s until retiring from this key role 2010. Jill also built her own indoor heated pool in 1985 and ran a learn to swim school for 17 years.
Jill had high standards and committed to them being achieved something that she instilled on all whom she taught, taught with and mentored over the years in her roles in swimming and water safety education. Quality tuition and learning opportunities were paramount and not to be compromised.
Jill has also involved with the Mildura Life Saving Club on the Murray at Apex Park, a member with the SES and St John Ambulance and is now involved with the Mildura Meals on Wheels as an assistant Treasurer and Volunteer Supervisor.
She is still actively teaching at her son’s and daughter-in-law’s Swim School in Mildura and after teaching her own children and many others over her long career, she is continuing with her grandchildren, all the while sharing the many years of experience and expertise with new teachers in the district. When you think of learn to swim and in particular VICSWIM in Mildura, only one name comes to mind.
Genevieve Lehmann has been involved with Aquatics and Recreation Victoria since its early beginnings as the VICSWIM Council in 1976. In those seminal days, Genevieve promoted and taught in the VICSWIM program in her home town of Beulah in the Southern Mallee region of Victoria where she was a crop farmer.
Genevieve was among the first to complete the original VICSWIM Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety Certificate. With such a passion for teaching swimming and water safety, she went onto become a regional coordinator of the VICSWIM teacher of swimming and water safety courses and convened regular courses in and around Horsham.
Genevieve strongly advocated for teachers to continually refresh and expand on their teaching skills and conducted ongoing professional development workshops for teachers in the Horsham region. Her enthusiasm and commitment in this respect did not go unnoticed by VICSWIM’S professional development managers and during the 1990’s she assisted with the development and delivery of workshops for teachers throughout regional Victoria and at VICSWIM and RLSSA state conferences. She was particularly interested in and developed materials to assist teachers with methods for appropriately handling children in the water (before the days of the working with children check) and also developed a kit of novel resources to give children an opportunity to experience a simulated open water environment. These interests both became very popular workshop topics.
Genevieve is highly regarded by her peers and by participants in the swimming and water safety industry. She has an instinctive ability to adjust her teaching style and manner to suit both children and adults. She has been a terrific mentor to many in the industry and is greatly appreciated by those she assists. She has also been a great leader and contributor at industry committee and board levels.
Genevieve’s enormous contribution to the swimming and water safety industry has been recognized at the highest levels. In 1997 she was nominated by VICSWIM and received the inaugural Minister for Sport and Recreation Award. She has also received several awards and honors of the Royal Life Saving Society Australia including Life Membership and the International Life Saving Federation Citation of Merit in 2007.
ARV's Life Members - Jean Kemp (left) and Sarie Lowdon (right) with Peter Meaney
Sarie's involvement with the aquatic and recreation industry began at school, and continued through university in becoming a physical education teacher. Teaching swimming and survival skills, instructing and examining for Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) Awards, and working for the department in the research and development area were the early foundations for a remarkable career.
She was responsible for the department’s operation of the swimming and water safety service, and organised and conducted in-service programs at open water venues with an emphasis on safety, survival and rescue. Sarie was also part of the team in the department that wrote and trialled the first lecture series for the VICSWIM course. She continued to work as a VICSWIM and AUSTSWIM lecturer and supervisor across Victoria for over 20 years.
Sarie has held many positions in the industry including chief examiner for the RLSS, and has been on state executives representing the industry to government. She has led international teams to Vancouver, Toronto, the UK and Ireland, ran CPR courses for schools and organisations over 25 years and has been involved in the administration of four different lifesaving clubs over this time.
She has also received several awards including the RLSS Commonwealth Council Certificate of Appreciation, two VICSWIM Education Service Awards, a Commendation from the UK’s RLSS, the RLSS Recognition Badge, has been recognised as an international Laerdal Fellow and received the AUSTSWIM Appreciation Award.
Sarie is also a published author, which includes the titles of 'Wet Games' and 'Swimming - A Curriculum Guide', in addition to serving on panels overseeing the development of the RLSS Manual and AUSTSWIM Manual, and as technical advisor and editor of seven Education Department publications.
Jean has worked to provide opportunities for many children and adults to experience the benefits gained from participation in aquatic activities, regardless of age and ability, leading many people into new careers in aquatics.
She has been involved in working for VICSWIM, AUSTSWIM and RLSS / LSV since the mid 1970's in the roles of regional VICSWIM and AUSTSWIM Coordinator for Gippsland, presenter for all AUSTSWIM courses / electives across the state. Jean is in demand as a presenter at state and national conferences and is a well-respected trainer, mentor and assessor.
Jean has written course content for the AUSTSWIM Infants and People with a Disability electives, coordinated a team of trained teachers to bring education to remote areas of Victoria, runs her own successful swim school, and has developed targeted programs for increased community health and weight control. Furthermore. she conducts First Aid and CPR courses across the Gippsland region and has also been involved in organising and managing the development of local school sport and swimming carnivals.
She has the only ‘double’ of Life Membership to the Victorian Primary and Secondary School Sports Associations and Life Membership of Victorian Little Aths and VICSRAPID. She has twice received the Education Department’s Sports Administrator of the Year, received a Commonwealth Award for services to Life Saving and an Australian Sports Award for services to sport and aquatics.
She continues to provide services to Monash University in aquatics and special needs, delivers AUSTSWIM, CPR and Bronze Medallion courses, workshops on disabilities and other professional development, as well as Koorie education, local schools’ swimming programs while also continuing to stay abreast of current developments within the industry.
Peter has been a major contributor to the educational and organisational side of the aquatics industry for many years. His influence on the teaching of swimming and water safety has been substantial, and that is still a major passion. He has been Chairman of AUSTSWIM National, VICSWIM Council and the Victorian Aquatic Industry Council, and has helped guide and direct these organisations to the professional levels of today.
Peter’s continuing contribution to professional development through national and state conferences, workshops and seminars, is well known. He has also written and been editor of a number of books and articles to do with the teaching of swimming and water safety. It is an outstanding contribution, from being a teacher, lecturer and Chair of some of the key organisations in our industry, and hence Peter is a worthy recipient the first Life Membership of Aquatics & Recreation Victoria.