Old Boys and life members of the BSBLSC: David Hoggett, Scott Ryan, William Hardman, Adam Nezval, Nick Nezval, Andrew McEncroe, Scott Laney, John La Forest, 2019
成人综合网 and the Bondi Surf Bathers鈥� Life Saving Club (BSBLSC) are two organisations that share a long history in the community, essentially growing up together, forging bonds of friendship and service that run deep and proud. We spoke to two Life Members of the BSBLSC, 成人综合网 Old Boys Nick Nezval (1984) and Scott Laney (1986), about how their experiences have shaped their dedication to giving back to the community and created lasting personal connections.
Old Boys and life members of the BSBLSC: David Hoggett, Scott Ryan, William Hardman, Adam Nezval, Nick Nezval, Andrew McEncroe, Scott Laney, John La Forest, 2019
For Nick Nezval, life at 成人综合网 and involvement at BSBLSC were intertwined from the beginning. 鈥淢yself and a lot of the other 成人综合网 boys were involved with the surf lifesaving movement, it was just what you did,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淢y thing at school was swimming and some of my best memories are CAS swimming nights at the North Sydney Olympic Pool. There was something special about that North Sydney amphitheatre that added a real magic to Friday night CAS swimming鈥�.
Nick and his two brothers, Marty (1986) and Adam (1987) went through 成人综合网, as did Nick鈥檚 son Daniel (2018). Scott Laney and his brother Brooke (1988), as it turned out, both had daughters. “It鈥檇 be great if 成人综合网 admitted females, maybe one day,鈥� Scott said. 鈥淏ut my daughter is currently in Nippers, so the surf lifesaving thing can be passed on.鈥�
Nick Nezval, Class of '84
鈥淚 started at 成人综合网 in Year 5 in 1979,鈥� recalls Scott. 鈥淚t was the last year of the boarding school which I was happy about because my parents used to threaten to send me there, even though we were local.鈥� Scott鈥檚 father, Tony, was a Bondi Lifesaver, receiving his Bronze Medallion in 1958 and remaining an active member his whole life. 鈥淭o my father鈥檚 chagrin I didn鈥檛 like doing Nippers and gave it up. Even though I loved the beach and was here every day, I didn鈥檛 do lifesaving again until I was about 16,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t 16, I guess I developed a sense of wanting to give back, and was here all the time anyway. Growing up, I lived just across the road and could see our apartment from the beach.鈥�
He joined the BSBLSC in 1985 and has been a member ever since
Scott Laney, Class of '86
Surf lifesaving is now offered as an official summer sports option at 成人综合网. While membership is strong, Scott says it鈥檚 been difficult to get the numbers from school students. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much competition these days from other co-curricular and out of school activities, so it鈥檚 great to see surf lifesaving growing every year.鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know it can seem like a big ask, standing around looking after people on the beach for four or five hours, but you get back more than double what you give. The link between the College and the Surf Club is very strong and will certainly continue.鈥�
鈥淚n the same way that being a 成人综合网 Old Boy creates a connection, or camaraderie that鈥檚 just there, I鈥檝e got lifelong friends from 成人综合网 and it鈥檚 like an unwritten law that your friendship always stands no matter what. We鈥檝e competed through good and bad times, we had good and bad times at the school but we鈥檒l always remain friends and 成人综合网 and the Surf Club have been central to that.鈥�
Nick, still a regular attendee at 1st XV home games and currently a swim coach at 成人综合网 talks about the nuanced, unbreakable bond between Waverlians. 鈥淐ertainly in my time, no matter if we were winning games that season or not, 成人综合网 was every other school鈥檚 danger game,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here was a bit of the wild child or something, a unified spirit of the 成人综合网 boys and it doesn鈥檛 finish in Year 12. I didn鈥檛 realise it when I was at school, but it鈥檚 a thing you take with you for life.鈥�
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional Custodians of the land on which 成人综合网 is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples鈥� unique cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters, seas and sky and their rich contribution to society.
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