Logo
Prev
search
Print
addthis
Rotate
Help
Next
All Pages
Browse Issues
Home
'
The Border Watch : February 11th 2015
Contents
SPORT NEWS TIPS sport@tbw.com.au AutO $11,990 DRIVE FROM AWAY SPORT 37 MAC SUZUKI 44 Mount Gambier Road, Millicent Phone 8733 1461 LMVD 45868 Nieuwendyk humbled by accolade Receives Mount Gambier City Council’s Citizen of the Year award EARL ASHLEY ashley@tbw.com.au Nieuwendyk thought ne call was actually notification that he was the next Mount Gambier City Council’s Citizen of the Year award recipient. Awarded on Australia Day Nieuwendyk said he was humbled to receive the Mount Gambier City Council Citizen of the Year award. “It was unbelievable I never expected anything like that at all,” he said. From riding 700km across Vietnam for multiple sclerosis to running with the Olympic Torch and making International Soccer Club’s Hall of Fame, Nieuwendyk has not wasted a moment. However, his biggest personal achievement was placing 12th in the 11 City Race north of Holland, which is a 200km cross country ice skating competition. The race started at 6am in the morning when it was still dark and racers had to run with their skates in hand for 150 yards before getting to the ice-covered river, where organisers had spotlights so competitors could see the direction of the track. “We had to just skate off into the darkness and I had no idea where I was going,” he said “The sun began to rise after some time and because it had been snowing I could see there was not many people in front of me. “I just continued at my pace and finished at 3pm and ended up placing 12th out of 350.” The race is a rare occurrence and happens on an average of every 10 years as organisers have to approve that there is 200km of safe ice for competitors to skate on. Meanwhile, the 78-year-old’s move from Amsterdam to Australia was an impulse decision after his position in the Dutch Speed Skating team was “put on hold” for two years due to his large heart and slow heart beat. The husband to Patricia and father of three – Krysten, Maryann and Monique – worked in a vintage women’s and men’s store in Amsterdam and had corre- CITIZEN OF THE YEAR: On top of his previous sporting achievements and personal adventures Henny Nieuwendyk’s most recent accolade of receiving Mount Gambier City Council’s Citizen of the Year Award was what he described as a “humbling experience”. spondence with a fellow employee who had migrated to Adelaide in Australia. “So I just went in 1958 as a 22-year-old,” he said. “I thought I would stay for two years and then go back and start training for ice-skating again.” He returned to Holland for the first time in 1966 and stayed for five months. “I could not wait to get back to Australia again,” he said. “I even went back at about Christmas time and there was ice and I was ice-skating, but then it got boring. “I like the people in Australia, here we are much freer.” Nieuwendyk stayed in Adelaide and played soccer for the South Australia team before moving to Mount Gambier following an advert in the Advertiser for a display man- ager at one of late Mr Max Young’s shops. After moving to the Blue Lake city he began playing soccer for International and also dipped his toes in the football industry wearing black and red for East Gambier. Soccer was a large part of his life, having served as a coach and player at International for about 25 years. In 2012 Nieuwendyk was recog- nised for his commitment to the club, being put on the Hall of Fame honour board. “You have to have stopped playing for at least five years to be admitted into the hall of fame,” he said. “I won lots of premierships with International as a player and coach.” During his time in Mount Gambier Nieuwendyk has become a renowned person around the city. Known as a busy man, he describes himself as a “doer”. “I can not just sit there, I am always saying ‘what can I do now?’ – it is just in my nature,” he said. Since 1984 Nieuwendyk has been a member of the Lions Club, taking part in working bees, fundraisers and other community activities. “We do raise a lot of money, on average of $30,000 per year which is given to charities,” he said. Nieuwendyk who was born on Christmas Day is one of 13 children and has also been a member of Mount Gambier Golf Club for almost 50 years. “My philosophy in life is its not what the club or the country can do for you, it is what you can do for the club or country,” he said. At aged 74 Nieuwendyk rode 700km across Vietnam in 10 days to raise money for multiple sclerosis as one of his daughters has a slight case of the disease. “We raised $42,000 by the end of the trip and there were about 10 of us involved,” he said. “However, not all of the money was raised on the overseas trip, we also had other fundraisers such as an auction that raised a lot of money. “This trip was another highlight of my life, it was fantastic.” Another honour Nieuwendyk has had in his lifetime was being nominated to be one of the Olympic torch runners in 200 for the Sydney Olympics. “I took the torch by the caravan park near the Blue Lake and ran alongside the lake before someone else took the torch,” he said. “Someone nominated me to run – I do not know who – it is the same with the citizen of the year award.” Limestone Coast thoroughbred racing to benefit from $4.3m annual boost THE Limestone Coast racing industry will receive an additional $75,000 in club funding per annum from 2015/16 season through extra funding and grants from Thoroughbred Racing South Australia. Provincial and country race meets will receive a significant portion of the prizemoney increases, which include boosts to Cup Day prizemoney for all clubs (including non-TAB) and increases to provincial Wednesday race days. The increases, which the TRSA board approved at its January meeting, represent the most significant since 2009. This coincides with an additional $485,000 increase in annual club training and race day funding grants for the state’s 25 race clubs. The South Australian Jockey Club and regional racing hubs, where the majority of the state’s racing and training activity takes place, will receive the bulk of this funding. Club training and race day grants will increase by $300,000 per annum, with the increase to apply retrospectively from July 1, 2014. Club marketing funding provided by TRSA will be increased and other club race day costs will be absorbed by TRSA, totalling $185,000 per annum. Mount Gambier, Naracoorte, Millicent and Bordertown will share in $75,000 of additional funding via their club training and race day grants, increased industry marketing funds and the absorption of race day costs. Key highlights for Limestone Coast Thoroughbred Racing Industry effective immediately include: •Non-maiden races at Wednesday Mount Gambier will increase by 36pc to $15K. •Maiden races at Wednesday Mount Gambier meetings will increase by 20pc to $12K. •Prizemoney for country nonmaiden races will increase by 25pc to $10K. Prizemoney increase effec- tive 2015/16 season (August 1): •Mount Gambier Gold Cup increased to a $50K race from $40K (+25pc) with the sprint increasing to a $25K race (+25pc). •Non maiden races at the Mount Gambier Gold Cup will increase from $15K to $17.5K (+16.7pc). •Naracoorte, Penola, Millicent and Bordertown Cups industry funded prizemoney will increase from $15K to $20K (+33.3pc) and the Sprint on Cup Day from $10K to $12K (+25pc). TRSA chief executive officer Mr Jim Watters said the increases were designed to keep industry participants employed and stimulate growth for the future. “The board has worked strategically to grow our revenues and reserves to a point where we were in a position to be able to do something that sent a strong message to the industry,” Mr Watters said. “These increases are intended not only to secure the employment of the thousands already engaged in racing at all levels across South Australia, but also to stimulate additional participation and interest via ownership, breeding and race day attendance.” The Border Watch, Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - 37 659983 1 OnlY
Links
Archive
February 10th 2015
February 12th 2015
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page
