This week we're getting to know some of our SUNS members who volunteered at the Commonwealth Games and learning about their experiences as a volunteer and what makes them a great SUNS member.
Today we get to know Sue...
What was your role at the Commonwealth Games?
I was a Fleet Driver based at the Games Village. Some drivers worked like taxis, but we were booked to a team and often stayed with them for the day taking them to events or training and even going shopping with them sometimes.
What was your number one highlight?
I was driver for the Grenada team officials, driving to ‘Metricon’ stadium for the evenings events and taking them home afterwards, lovely people! It was super exciting because their athlete Lindon Victor won the decathlon quite unexpectedly. We had the flag flying from the window on the way home and told every security person we were stopped by about the result. The funniest response was from one man who thought it was the 50ish Chef de Mission in the front seat who'd won it. He was overwhelmed, jumping up and down and shouting numerous times, 'that's f-ing wonderful' etc. and asking to see and touch the medal. His enthusiasm was gracefully enjoyed by us all - or maybe not by the other games cars lined up behind us. Most impressive was the way these two men discussed ways to honour Lindon for staying back and helping his fellow countryman finish the course.
Did you have the opportunity to meet anyone ‘famous’, were you star struck at all?
No, but I was struck by the ordinariness of the athletes, real people who were mostly amazed to find themselves at the Games. I was amazed though by the Tanzanian marathon athletes I took to the Botanic Gardens to train, they ran for 2.5 hours non-stop wearing jackets – and then gave me big sweaty hugs!
You’ve detailed that you love helping people, can you tell us more about your involvement with the community?
I seem to have a fairly constant stream of individuals that God directs my way to be beside them and help them through a tough time or with some problem they have. In the last few months that’s included helping someone through brain surgery, almost daily visiting a lady hospitalised with anxiety, being able to help others get set up with new phone and email services once NBN was installed in our village and being on call to help with medical issues, provide transport or have people stay. In years past it’s involved helping run Little Athletics, volunteering/working in PNG, teaching English as a second language.
Your husband is a Suns member as well, does footy play a big role in your family?
We certainly love our footy and rarely miss watching games. We especially enjoy watching footy live – Metricon is a great stadium for that! Our kids and grandkids join us a few times a year at games when they visit and we also include a game for our overseas visitors for a ‘real Aussie experience’. We also enjoy the footy shows on tv during the week. There are more important things in life but following footy is our main recreation.
As an inaugural member, what’s been your favourite SUNS moment?
For fun and excitement it is hard to beat watching Karmichael Hunt kick his first AFL goal – that was a long time ago but there was such a sense of expectancy and community and joy! I think it was a key moment in everyone’s ‘ownership’ of the Suns.
As a sports lover do you love that you have an AFL team to call your own?
Yes! You know, you hardly meet a person born here on GC or even in QLD. There are so many people from down south that have migrated to the Gold Coast, bringing with them their love for AFL. Most of us adults had another favourite team first but we love watching ‘our boys’ develop and our commitment to them is growing, alongside the younger generation of Sun’s supporters who have that home grown ownership and loyalty naturally.
