COCA-COLA COMMUNITY AWARDS 2005 

NATIONAL WINNER ANNOUNCED

Robyn Sanewski from Biloela, Queensland, has been chosen as the overall winner of the Coca-Cola Community Awards for her outstanding commitment to inspiring young people to lead healthy and active lifestyles through her program “Fit For Life”.

Robyn’s prize is to be a part of an experience of a lifetime – to walk the infamous 96 km Kokoda Trail with gold medal winning Paralympic skier and Awards ambassador Michael Milton, which will no doubt prove to be both challenging and rewarding.

She has also won a $10,000 grant from the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation for her organisation, which will go towards more equipment to help keep the young people she works with on the right track with their health and fitness.

Robyn recognises the importance of leading an active and healthy lifestyle and that these habits are formed at a young age.  As a Youth Facilitator at the Biloela PCYC, she set out to start full physical and nutrition activities as part of the PCYC “Active Outside School Hours Care” called “Fit For Life” – an afternoon child care program for children ranging from five to 15 years of age.

The innovative “Fit For Life” program is all about promoting physical activity and healthier food choices for children.  Fun physical group activities are incorporated, not only for physical benefits, but also to encourage the kids to become friends.  Afternoon tea is an opportunity to teach them about healthy eating and how to choose healthy alternatives as snacks.

Robyn also finds time in her hectic schedule for “Tumble Bugs”, an under five gymnastics and fitness program which she started in 2004 to show under fives how good it feels to be active.

Having battled with weight herself, Robyn felt that it was important that her own four children didn’t go down the same unhealthy path she had.  As a result she passionately believes that young people need to be educated from a young age about the importance of fun fitness programs and good nutrition.  Robyn has recently lost over 40 kilograms with her own new healthy lifestyle and is continuing to work towards her healthy weight goals, with the Kokoda Trail now an added incentive!

The judges deemed Robyn as the winner because she fitted perfectly with the criteria set by the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation.

 The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation is committed to encouraging Australians to lead active lifestyles, and through initiatives such as the Coca-Cola Community Awards, is able to reward those who have or are currently promoting a healthy and active life amongst young people in the community.

The Coca-Cola Community Awards has been a national search by Michael Milton and The Coca-Cola Foundation to find six unsung heroes around Australia making a difference in their local communities. Each of the six finalists from across the nation received a $5,000 grant from the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation for their organisation.

The Finalists

The six finalists for the Coca-Cola Community Awards were:

• Ben Murray (Campbelltown, NSW)
• Gordon Bartle (Withcott, Qld)
• Khi Fulthorpe (Weston, ACT)
• Mark Boyle (Rhodes, NSW)
• Michael Wright (Clovelly, NSW)
• Robyn Sanewski (Biloela, Qld)

The Coca-Cola Community Award Finalists:

Ben Murray (Campbelltown, NSW) Ben Murray, began Ski Mission with a group of friends fifteen years ago. Ski Mission is an independent group that takes young locals out waterskiing on their boat. They have since joined forces with Young Life, a non-profit Christian youth agency helping young people build confidence, values and resilience by providing adult volunteer role models. Ski Mission now runs waterskiing days for various groups and organisations ranging from schools and Church groups to groups for ‘at risk’ children such as Youth Off the Streets. The activities are not limited to waterskiing, but encompass a range of water sports.
Gordon Bartle (Withcott, Qld) For ten years, between 1990 and 2000, Gordon Bartle was involved in playing national wheelchair basketball travelling across the country playing in the Australia-wide league.  When Gordon arrived in Toowoomba, he saw that there were no groups assisting disabled people to play sport, so in 2001, Gordon started a weekly wheelchair basketball club. Gordon’s group started off every Saturday with donated court time and funding from the Sporting Wheelies.  The group now assists disabled young people in wheelchair sport and personal fitness by getting them involved in physical activity.
Khi Fulthorpe (Weston, ACT) At just 18 years of age, Khi Fulthorpe is a role model and mentor to disadvantaged and at risk young people in Canberra.  Khi volunteers his time tirelessly to the Canberra Police and Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) to promote physical activity among youth at risk. The positive sport activities that Khi leads help to build positive relationships between young people and the police as well as boosting self esteem and social skills.
Mark Boyle (Rhodes, NSW) Ten years ago Mark Boyle began developing a bass drumming activity to get young people active through music. Being a Scout leader, he implemented this idea as part of his Club’s Scouting program. Children of all ages learn to play the drums and then participate in marches and parades such as the Concord RSL’s ANZAC Day Dawn Service. ‘Hiking with Drums’, as the activity has been termed, encourages children to be active because they are not standing still when performing, but constantly moving around while having fun with music.
Michael Wright (Clovelly, NSW) Michael has been with the North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club for twenty-five years. He started there as a Nipper in 1972, when he was only five years old. He has since moved through the ranks becoming active as a lifesaver and is now a director of the Club. Michael is heavily involved in Nippers, running two training sessions during the week as well as coordinating the carnivals on Sundays. He was chosen as a finalist of the    Coca-Cola Community Awards for his longstanding commitment to encouraging young people to lead active and balanced lives.

Robyn Sanewski (Biloela, Qld)
Recognising the importance of leading an active and healthy lifestyle and that these habits are formed at a young age, Robyn Sanewski, a Youth Facilitator at the Biloela PCYC, set out to start full physical and nutrition activities as part of the PCYC “Active Outside School Hours Care” – an afternoon child care program for children ranging from five to 15 years of age.  Robyn also started Tumble Bugs, an under five gymnastics and fitness program.

To find out more about Michael Milton and follow his preparations for the Torino 2006 Winter Paralympics, visit www.michaelmilton.com

If you’d like to find out more about the Kokoda Track and the amazing experience our winner will share with Michael, visit www.kokodaspirit.com

If you have any queries about the Coca-Cola Community Awards, call 1800 208 183.