Our reader friend in Australia, Lawrie Fabian, has this report on Matthew Mitcham. Outsports readers will remember Lawrie as founding President and Coach of Melbourne's Glamourhead Sharks Aquatic Club, the first gay and lesbian swim team in Victoria. He has coached swimmers and triathletes to personal bests at World Masters Games and Gay Games. We covered the Glamourheads' exploits during the Sydney games. More recently, Lawrie coached some of the Aussie swim talent at Beijing. Today he wrote me:
Our reader friend in Australia, Lawrie Fabian, has this report on Matthew Mitcham. Outsports readers will remember Lawrie as founding President and Coach of Melbourne’s Glamourhead Sharks Aquatic Club, the first gay and lesbian swim team in Victoria. He has coached swimmers and triathletes to personal bests at World Masters Games and Gay Games. We covered the Glamourheads’ exploits during the Sydney games. More recently, Lawrie coached some of the Aussie swim talent at Beijing. Today he wrote me:
“Was fortunate to attend the retirement ‘do’ on Sat night for a married couple who have been outstanding Olympic divers for Oz. Rob and Chantelle Newbery formally retire from international sport and threw a great party for a few folks. Matthew Mitcham was there and it was the first time I had to see him since Beijing. I am delighted to say that all the attention etc that he now receives appears to have only sharpened his already well developed and acerbic tongue. He is earning terrific sponsorship deals now in China and Italy….go figure. The really good news is that last night in Melbourne, he shared the highest award given in Australian sport. He won ‘The Don’ Award. He shared it with pole-vault gold medallist Steve Hooker. A terrific honour from within the sporting elite here.”The Don Award is given at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Lawrie added, “I have yet to come across one of these athletes, medal winner or not, who have yet to really get back to earth from their Olympic experience. The endorphins must go crazy for weeks!”
