National Recognition Awarded
28 Nov 2013
Tasmanian official and administrator and former National Volunteer of the Year, Helen Lee was today elected as one of Athletics Australia's six new Life Members at the national governing body's annual general meeting in Melbourne. She was in fine company voted in alongside Queenslanders - former national cross country manager, Wilma Bain, super coach Gary Bourne and fellow technical official and administrator Yvonne Mullins; ACT’s international representative and recently retired national team manager Susan Hobson; and past president of Athletics South Australia, Tony Keynes.
Mrs Lee was acknowledged for her outstanding record of distinguished service in four key areas - as a high level national technical official, as a competition director for national and international events, as chair and member of organising committees for major meetings and as an administrator.
Helen began her involvement in Tasmanian athletics with the Howrah Little Athletics Club in 1984 when her children joined, and when they moved to Eastern Suburbs AC in 1989, she followed. From the outset, she involved herself with administrative duties at Athletics South (AT’s southern competition branch) competitions.
She has been an active member of AS from 1991, since 1992 as voluntary Executive Director becoming the key liaison between AS and the clubs and in turn between AS and Athletics Tasmania. She has also been responsible for a most effective and productive relationship between AS and the Hobart City Council.
Helen quickly became involved in AT affairs, being team manager for state teams on nine occasions, as well as a member of numerous committees, commissions and perhaps most importantly as chair and/or convenor of local organising committees for a string of national competitions held in Tasmania including bumper editions of the Australian Cross Country Championships at Pontville and the Australian All Schools Track and Field at the Domain.
Helen was a key member of the Back the Track and Building Committees which saw the development of the current facility at the DAC, was previously secretary of the Australian Track and Field Coaches Association (Tas Branch) and has received the AT Merit Award (2001) as well as the AA Silver Service (20 years) Award and Life Membership of Athletics South and Athletics Tasmania.
As a National Technical Official, Helen is widely regarded for her skills, competence, expertise and patience. She has been recognised by AA as the National Volunteer of the Year.
Through a role she has undertaken since 1995, arguably Helen’s greatest contribution to athletics nationally and internationally has been as a Post Event Control Manager – developing layouts, systems and protocols for the period immediately after athletes depart the arena at major events. Her organisation of these areas at the Sydney Olympics provided the benchmark which the IAAF now uses for all major events.
Helen was first appointed to this role as a judge for the 1996 World Juniors in Sydney but quickly displayed the leadership material that led to her appointment as Post Event Control Manager for the 2000 Olympics, 2001 Goodwill Games, the 2001 IAAF Grand Prix Final, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and a long list of Australian Championships and Tour Meets in between and since.
She was a judge at the 2000 Paralympics and has been Competition Director of the National Athletics Meet in Tasmania (the Briggs Athletics Classic) and Tasmanian Championships and is extremely supportive of other officials, doing much to ensure Tasmania’s good retention levels. She has successfully undertaken the IAAF Competition Management Course.
Helen is a highly dedicated administrator and official who has given 24 years of service to Tasmanian and Australian athletics and who will be a fitting recipient of Life Membership of Athletics Australia.
She has received Australian National Honours on two occasions – the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and the Centenary Medal in 2001.
Helen joins Wayne Fletcher OAM, Chris Wilson and Peter Fortune as Athletics Australia Life Members in Tasmania. Clive Lee AM, Noel Ruddock AM and Brian Roe are AA Life Governors.