Achilles Running Club Sydney

 

 

 

The end of spring has brought fine weather for Sunday morning Achilles trainings, and  high numbers of both disabled members and guides. Thankfully, we have had more guides attending than only those rostered on.  As we have had between 5 and 12 disabled people at training each week,  your attendance has been very welcome. Please check the roster so that we can be assured of a nucleus of guides, and if you can continue to come on other days, please do. As always, Sunday mornings with Achilles is a great place to be!

 

 

 

 

As you know, our popular new club singlets have been sponsored by the Hastie Group, providers commercial air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. We will be holding a formal "thank you" presentation on 2 November. Hastie Group CEO David Harris will be presented with a memento of our appreciation, an inscribed plaque on a wooden shield. 

 

Following Sunday training and the Hastie Group presentation,  Achilles will be contributing to the bill for the social breakfast. A bottomless cup of coffee/tea and toast costs $6-50, which is what Achilles will pay  for all financial members  - if you want the continental buffet or full cooked breakfast ($12-50 or $14-50), you will just need to pay in the difference. Yet another reason why it pays to be an Achilles member!

 

As you have read in an earlier  email, we are hoping to have a massive turnout for this special day. In addition to the benefits this will offer of training in a big goprup and catching up with other members, it will also enable us to show our sponsors that we have a strong club. Photographs will be taken for the Achilles and the Hastie Group websites. 

 

 

 

 

 

If the event is successful, it will be the first of many Achilles bushwalks. Everyone is welcome. Please let us know if you can be part of this exciting event.

 

There has been interest from others outside of Achilles, including visually impaired people and guides who have not yet been connected with Achilles.  There has been quite some interest from Vision Australia clients, and we hope to encourage them and others of all ages to become involved with Achilles.

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Route: - About 1 km by road to the Great North Walk, and then an out and back route on fire trail/bush track. The distance will be variable dependiing on how our participants are going.

 

Time : 10-00am to 3-30pm

 

Anyone, disabled or guide, who is keen to be part of the hike, please contact:

Nick (nicholas.gleeson@visionaustralia.org )  9334 3209 (w) or

You will receive full details of what to bring, time, place and transport.

 

 

 

The Achilles RC AGM was held on 25 September. We are thrilled to have "new blood" on the newly elected committee. Its members:

 

Ellis Janks - President

Charlie McConnell -Vice President

Ted Magen - Treasurer

James Howard - Secretary

Angie Maken - Events Co-ordinator

Martin Ruane - Webmaster

Doug Ritchie - Training

Karen Parker

Neill McCarthy

Marianna von Lucken

Nick Gleeson

 

 

Membership Renewals
There are a few of you who have not renewed your membership for this year ('08/'09).  Membership renewal was due in July. Annual fees are $20. It is vital for our club that you all renew your membership. Besides your fees being used for general running costs, we are trying to secure corporate sponsorship, and for this purpose,  the bigger our paid up membership the better. Please forward your membership fees to PO Box 240, Randwick 2031, or give them to any committee member at training. Ted will forward a receipt to you. If your contact details have changed in the last year, please make sure that we have your updated information.

 

 

 

Achilles member Matt Levy had a very successful Paralympics. He won a gold medal in the 4 X 100m Medley and made it to the finals in his other 3 events - 200m Individual Medley (7th); 400m Freestyle (7th); 50m Freestyle (8th). Congratulations to Matt on these excellent results. He brought the gold medal to training last week so that us mere mortals could experience the feel of a genuine Paralympic gold medal.  

Lindy Hou, who is visually impaired, has recently been coming to Sunday training. She was part of the Australian cycling team and also had a fantastic Games. She participated in 4 events and came home with silver and bronze medals. We look forward to Lindy being an active member of Achilles who, like Matt, will motivate the rest of us.

 

 

 

Once again, the annual Andrew Bristow Memorial Awards will be presented at the end of the year picnic, one each for a disabled and volunteer member. If any of you wish to nominate someone for these awards, please contact Ellis (janks@comcen.com.au) or 9664 4824 (h).

 

 

 

A free curator-led touch tour will be held at the Australian Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour on Sunday 7 December, 11 am. "Voyages of the Ancestors - VAKA MOANA" is about the discovery and settlement of the islands of the Pacific. It features 200 artefacts, including rare carvings and canoes.  The tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours and morning tea is provided. Bookings are essential. Please contact Nick if you wish to go

(nicholas.gleeson@visionaustralia.org )  or 9334 3209 (w) . A pdf brochure of the exhibition has been attached to this email newsletter.

 

 

 

This month's Runner's World magazine contains an article about Nick Gleeson and his participation in last year's Coburg 24 hour relay in Melbourne. Nick is keen to enter again - the next Coburg event is on 18 April 2009. Is there anyone else keen to take on this challenge? If you are interested in participating yourself or in being a guide for Nick, please contact him on nicholas.gleeson@visionaustralia.org or 9334 3209 (w). The field is limited and the event fills up very early  - you will need to decide soon.

 

 

 

It is time to start training for next years Six Foot Tack race on 14 March 2009 ((or at least thinking about). Anyone who is keen to join the 2 Michaels (Levy and Ultramarathonman),  Doug, Ellis & John in the race, please let us know. We hope to put together some good "team" training runs in preparation

 

 

 

It is fast approaching that time of the year - "the silly season"! This means that once again we will be helping the Lions Club of Bondi with selling the famous and delicious 1.5 kg Lions Christmas cakes. These will be available at $12 each at Sunday training, or you can contact Ellis (janks@comcen.com.au).

 

 

 

Please be aware of the Achilles website,  www.achilles-sydney.org.au . It offers news updates, the Sunday volunteer roster, The Achilles Heel etc. Martin has been able to get to grips with the website and we soon will have it fully updated, including having the photo gallery full of great Achilles photos.  Please note that the home page includes a section titled "Latest News". Here you will find announcements about anything out of the ordinary, such as training changes due to road closures.

There is also a new email contact address for Achilles - info@achilles-sydney.org.au.  This replaces the  old hotmail address.