Paul Hughes featured in Pittwater Online News

Barbecue Baron Paul Hughes aka ‘Hughsie’ has been featured by Pittwater Online News for his lifelong service to Surf Life Saving. Here is an excerpt from the article, the full piece can be read here:

“The gentleman who won the first Big Swim, back in 1974, has been a member of Surf Life Saving since the 1950’s, first at Ocean Beach SLSC, then at Whale Beach. A Life Member of Whale Beach SLSC, Paul has spent his life serving others and saving lives. It is swimming and getting in the water that has been his lifelong passion though, that and being on the beach.

Mr. Hughes won surf swims when he began and won swim challenges as he matured, even completing the challenging Waikiki Roughwater Swim when in his mid 60’s, a swim Ollie Signorini of Sydney, completed in a time of 59:48, winning the event in 2016. Ollie also came in quickest in the 2016 Big Swim with a time of 29:30. Paul was fortunate to have as a coach legendary Australian coach Harry Gallagher when he was a teenager. Mr Gallagher’s contemporaries then were Professor Cotton and Forbes Carlile. Paul won and won and won as a Junior, Senior and even took on coaching Ocean Beach’s R and R Team. One of his favourite events remains the Big Swim though.”

Whether you are a pro on the rescue board, can keep a cool head during first aid, want to learn some new skills, or just love hanging out and flipping burgers on the barbie, there is a place for you at Whale Beach Surf Life Saving Club!