Embracing our Community – Meet the President – Sports Auxiliary

What does the Auxiliary hope to achieve during the coming year?

The Auxiliary hopes to be able to support all St Catherine’s girls across their GSV sporting endeavours in 2022, whether it be at a Badminton training morning, Interschool Cross Country competition or cheering at House Swimming. It is important for the girls to know that the Auxiliary and parents are proud of their efforts by providing a fun, supportive environment, with the assistance of an icy pole or two at the finish line!

What do you hope to achieve in your presidency?

Essentially the aim of the Sports Auxiliary is to become a sustainable support network for St Catherine’s Sport, particularly that of GSV Sport.

Through increasing our parent committee and helper network, I hope that it becomes second nature for our parent body to involve themselves in celebrating our girls at final training days or competitions, such that the offerings of a friendly cheer, a well-deserved cordial or an enthusiastic ‘high five’ is always waiting for the girls at the finish line!

What are the key events taking place (COVID dependent) in the coming 12 months?

The Sports Auxiliary are committed to placing attention on a range of sports and events across the calendar, such that every student participating in Sport at St Catherine’s is aware that the Auxiliary is here for them.

We hope to host some simple, quick healthy breakfasts at a range of training sessions across the School Sports’ calendar, along with drinks and fruit stations at competitions, in addition to our annual Huntingtower-Heyington AFL Cup.

We will also assist in hosting the girls’ Sports Awards, which will continue to be a Committee focus, and is a wonderful conclusion to a busy Sports calendar. To fund these initiatives, we hope to have a small role in some School fundraising events, and continue the sale or our supporter caps.

Why do you think volunteering is so important? How can people contribute?

Volunteering provides a terrific opportunity to share in the St Catherine’s community and spirit, in a meaningful manner, using your own authentic skills.

All the parents contribute to the Auxiliary in such a genuine manner, and we are fortunate to have such a breadth and depth of skill, whether that be a parent who has excellent fundraising skills, or another who is able to sell Sports Auxiliary supporter caps on competition days, or the quintessential organiser who searches every supermarket to find drink cups in our School House colours for House Sport days.

Volunteering isn’t about being everything to everyone, it’s about bringing a little bit of you to connect meaningfully to a broader community, and I think we do that really well in the Sports Auxiliary.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

I guess you could say I’m a sporty girl! I was a member of the Australian Track and Field team for over a decade, competing at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, and Sydney in 2000, and winning a Commonwealth Games Gold medal and World Championships bronze medal in the 4 x 400m relay along the way.

Whilst I enjoy watching St Catherine’s girls perform well in their chosen sports, I am really drawn to watching young people experience pride in their experience, irrespective of their result. For me, watching a St Catherine’s girl give it their all, even surprising themselves that they actually did it, is what I call a ‘money can’t buy experience’ and that is the greatest achievement you can have in sport…your own little heart flip!

Can you tell us something our community does not know about you?

I do fancy myself as a bit of a cook. Not a chef, just an enthusiastic home cook. I think this stems from being a dairy farmer’s daughter, where you learn very early on in life, that every meal you eat you have to cook…from scratch.

I guess the reason I do enjoy cooking is that it’s my fun, happy time and where I generally let loose and sing. I’m partial to a broad singing experience, however when Lilli was in kindergarten I must have been going through an ABBA phase, as she told the teachers, much to their amusement I’m sure, that mum was a member of ABBA and was very good!  Oh dear!

Dr Lee Naylor, President, St Catherine's Sports Auxiliary