YANCHEP Surf Life Saving Club president Billy Prinsloo is the winner of the Yanchep Two Rocks Community Recreation Association citizen of the year award.
Yanchep Two Rocks Community Recreation Association (YTRCRA) president Julie Otremba announced all three award winners at the Australia Day Breakfast in Two Rocks on Wednesday.
Mr Prinsloo has been the Yanchep Surf Life Saving Club (YSLSC) president since 2017 and during that time the club has grown to have more than 700 members.
He started the Yanchep Flippers program, which focuses on children and adults with special needs and spearheaded the implementation of the beach wheelchair at the club.
This gave people an opportunity to dip their toes in the water who otherwise would never have enjoyed the experience.
He was relentless in getting the beach mats down so those in wheelchairs could have access to the beach.
His wife Janine Prinsloo said on Sunday mornings you can find him down at the beach with his good mate Abby, a young adult with special needs, who relied on Billy to teach him confidence in the ocean and other skills.
Abby has learnt to use the boards and is learning to paddle to the reef so that he too can see the beautiful life that lives there.
In 2021 Mr Prinsloo was awarded the Surf Life Saving WA President’s medal – it is awarded at the discretion of the president of Surf Life Saving WA and recognises an individual or club for their behind-the-scenes commitment to the ongoing development of Surf Life Saving in Western Australia.
Winner of the Yanchep Sun City youth achievement award Emilio Velasco-Ridley, who has been a member of YSLSC since 2016, is very passionate about his role as a volunteer lifesaver.
YSLSC member Emilio Velasco-Ridley won the youth achievement award. Picture: Anita McInnesThe 16-year-old is also a passionate surfer and his knowledge of the local beaches is exemplary.
He is working for his accreditation to become a qualified trainer so he can teach 13 and 14-year-olds their surf rescue certificate and 15 to 17-year-olds their bronze medallion.
Yanchep Districts Junior Football Club (YDJFC) was named the community group of the year.
YDJFC president Naomi Lucas with Neil and Heather Wright and their sons Cooper and Lincoln after the club’s community group of the year award win. Picture: Anita McInnesIn 1993 as an Auskick centre the club started out as the Suncity Dolphins and then became the YDJFC (junior Redhawks) in 2000.
Over the years the club has evolved and now the junior Redhawks club offers teams in all age groups from Year 3-12, mixed, boys’ and girls’ teams.
