When a swimmer falls victim to the ocean's tumultuous nature, they hope a competent lifesaver will come to the rescue - someone of any gender.
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But before 1980, women were not allowed to patrol, compete or be a committee member of Surf Life Saving NSW.
Women have since joined the ranks, and the Broulee Surfers Surf Life Saving Club has paid tribute to female lifesavers on the 40th anniversary of that breakthrough. The club was formed in 1979, when all members were male. "The females sat on the beach, supported and watched their male companions and made sandwiches," Broulee Surfers SLSC secretary Gary Pettigrove said.
Now, the 670 members and 250 nippers can be divided into an equal ratio of male to female. Mr Pettigrove said female members broadened the skills and competencies of the organisation.
'Only female in patrol group'
Kim Griffiths was one of the first female members to attain her bronze medallion at the Broulee Club, in 1991.
"I may have been one of the earliest Broulee SLSC members to attain Bronze but many females in the Eurobodalla Shire achieved Surf Life Saving Bronze Medallion (as opposed to Royal Life Saving Bronze) well before me," Ms Griffiths said.
"In 1980, the first female group to gain their Bronze were 16-17 year-old girls from Moruya and Batemans Bay Surf Life Saving Clubs."
The teens trained during autumn and winter, and took exams - including water requirements - in June.
Ms Griffiths was the only person in her Bronze Squad: "There were very few female patrolling members, and for many years I was the only female in my patrol group. Active members often crewed across multiple patrol groups to make up numbers and undertook consecutive patrols on one day."
Ms Griffiths played a pivotal role in the development and introduction of the Sun Safe Position Statement to Broulee SLSC, which was presented at a NSW state SLSA meeting.
Australians were only beginning to understand the benefits of sun protection with the 1981 "slip, slop slap" campaign.
"It was time to improve sun safe awareness for Broulee Club members as neither NSW nor National SLSA had a position or policy on Sun Safety at that time," she said.
Ms Griffiths appreciated the diversity of people involved in the organisation.
She wanted more female leadership programs, and to celebrate those who encouraged female participation.
Rising from history
Gabriel Smith spent many of her childhood days at the Bronte Baths where she was guided by 1936 Berlin Olympian Evelyn Whillier. She became a Surf Life Saving member at 16 and obtained a Bronze Medallion in 1984 with a group of nippers friends. Since joining the Broulee club, she has been a club captain, and currently holds a Gold Medallion.
Ms Smith was also a rescue swimmer with the Moruya Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter service from 2010-14. She performed several rescues, including saving three family members at Moruya Heads on Boxing Day 2011. For the ordeal, she and other surf life savers were awarded an International Life Saving Rescue Certificate and the Surf Life Saving Australia Meritorious Award.
She has won a bronze medal in the surf swim at the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, and completed four grueling George Bass Surf Boat Marathons on the open water.
She said being a woman in the early days in a male-dominated arena was a steep learning curve and adjustment: "The support and encouragement of women as members and to what they could bring, not based on gender, but an additional skill set, has enhanced the surf lifesaving organisation."
She said the love of swimming and confidence in the water is passed on from generation to generation: "I am proud that, of my four children, three have gained their Surf Life Saving Bronze Medallions and the other has represented Australia in surfing."
'Boost for self-confidence'
A newcomer to the area in 2010, Kerry Evans wanted to meet people so joined the club as a social member.
When she obtained her bronze medallion, there were only three other women in the course.
After she qualified, it was difficult to understand the surf lifesaving "culture", having not entered the organisation "through the ranks" as many other volunteers did.
"This was more about my lack of self-confidence and knowledge than anything else," she said. "The support from members just made me all the more determined to get good at this new patrolling role."
Before surf lifesaving, Ms Evans had little confidence in ocean swimming. But in 2012, she won the BSSLSC Summer Series Swim Handicap: "This was a huge deal." She loved being part of a patrol that gave her personal goals to work towards: fitness, ocean confidence and giving back to the community.
Ms Evans was hooked.
"The social network and supportive nature of the club won me over," she said.
"Patrolling was a good fit for me - who wouldn't want to have a job where they could look at the beautiful ocean?"
Since joining the club, she has competed in a mature age category in the Rooster's River Run Surf Boat Marathon, won the Patrol Member Captain's Award several times, and won Female Patroller of the Year in 2016.
Taking her dedication up a notch, Ms Evans obtained her Silver Medallion Beach Management in the 2017-18 patrol season, and received the Patrol Award for stepping up into the vice-captain role. In 2018/19 season, she became a patrol captain. The following season, her patrol received Patrol of the Year. Two members of the patrol also received the Female and Male Patroller of the year awards - "a special year for the whole team". Ms Evans attained a 100 per cent patroller award for all seven years of patrolling.
She said balancing family and weekend patrols was challenging, only because she was committed to a personal goal of a 100 per cent attendance rate in patrolling.
'A slow evolution'
Claire Forbes qualified for the Bronze Medallion in 2013 and says diversity is crucial to the organisation.
"I'd like to see more diversity in our ranks, more First Peoples, people of colour and women," she said.
"We are getting there, but it's a slow evolution."
Ms Forbes qualified for the medallion with BSSLSC, as part of a Canberra-based contingent.
At that time, there was a strong female presence in the Canberra-based surf boat rowers.
"I was one of five or six women who qualified that year," she said.
Since then, Ms Fletcher has rowed in carnivals around the world, won a world championship, has become qualified for a Beach Management Silver Medallion, Advanced First Aid and Resuscitation, has served on the club committee and was named Club Person of the Year in 2017.
She said equal awards for men and women in surf sport competitions would boost the organisation.
"There is a bias towards men's events that even sees some competitions still awarding the men's divisions more prize money!"
"If we can show women and girls there's no barrier to their participation, or ability in the surf, where you go from there is much less inhibited.
"Increased sports participation generally leads to increased club and leadership participation by women."
Browning thanks legacy of women before her
Natalie Browning is one of the only female Rescue Water Craft drivers on the Far South Coast Branch.
She completed her bronze 10 years ago at 15 years old when about a third of the squad was female.
She is a member of the Support Operations and Call Out teams, won 2019/20 Club Surf Lifesaver of the Year, is a Vice Patrol Captain, Club Publicity Officer, Beach to Bush presenter and a NSW Surf Lifesaving Strategic Leadership representative.
She said there was a strong contingent of female leaders who nurtured, empowered and developed other women coming through the organisation in the club and branch.
"I haven't faced as many challenges as the women that came before me," she said. "That is a testament to the Broulee Club and Far South Coast Branch who are incredibly inclusive and supportive of all members.
Gender was no longer a barrier: "Whether you're male, female, young, old, athletic or socially-driven, it is incredibly inclusive for everyone and makes giving back to the community enjoyable."
