Don Johnstone has announced that he has stepped down from the Marathon Committee.
Don has served the Marathon community for more than 5 years as both a Committee Member and as the Marathon Series Handicapper, and his contribution to both must be loudly and widely applauded. His love of numbers has seen him embrace the Handicapper’s role, coordinating entries, patiently and politely handling requests for changes of Division and/or Late Entries, creating and publishing Start Lists, and then even paddling and competing himself, before assessing everyone’s times and applying the appropriate Promotions/Relegations, finalising and then publishing the Results for each race.
Don has decided that it’s time now for someone else to step up and take a turn, and after more than 5 years, who could argue with him ? Don has also generously offered to unlock the secrets and mysteries of those spreadsheets that he developed, to whom ever is willing to be the next Marathon Series Handicapper.
On behalf of everyone who has entered a PaddleNSW Marathon race in the past 5 years, we say a huge “Thank You” to Don for his amazing contribution to our sport.
If you see him on the water, or around the Lane Cove clubhouse, please take the opportunity to say “thanks” yourself.
If you’re ready to take up Don’s challenge, to step up and take your turn, then please get in touch with one of the current Marathon Committee members, (Laura Lee, Larissa Cleverley, or Bob Turner) or send an email to marathon@paddlensw.org.au .
We’re going to stay positive, confident that there will soon be an end to Covid restrictions, in which case we’ll need someone to have accepted Don’s challenge, stepped up and taking their turn in the role before the new Marathon Series commences in 2022.
Images courtesy of Ian Wrenford