Michele Bootes honoured and humbled to receive OAM

Ms Bootes' lifelong passion for helping others has seen her already receive accolades from being named Bega Valley citizen of the year in 2020, to receiving the National Service Medal with Surf Life Saving Australia in 2014, this year however she is being presented with the medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

She was one of five Bega Valley residents being recognised with an OAM this Australia Day - the others being Robert Johnson of Bermagui, AJ Collins of Tathra, Colin Dunn of Pambula, and Darrell Hegarty of Merimbula.

Ms Bootes said she had been "pretty shocked" when she received the news and her first response was to share the honours with her husband and members of the Same Wave program, whom she said deserved equal recognition.

"We've been a team all the way through, we do everything together and my husband has been there every step of the way as a trainer and assessor with me and I just feel as though he does as much as I do for the community," she said.

"As far as the Same Wave program goes, it wouldn't run without all the wonderful helpers that I have come on board each week, some of whom are lifesavers and others are community members that have joined just to help out."

Ms Bootes founded the Special Nippers Same Wave Program with her husband in 1999 after discovering there was a need to help teach kids who wanted to be involved in Nippers but didn't have strong enough swimming skills.

"For a child to be involved with Nippers they needed to be able to pass a pool test and I realised that a lot of kids couldn't do that and it stopped them from doing something they were passionate about," she said.

So Ms Bootes sought out permission from her branch, which then took the request higher up and once approved they started out with a ratio of 10 lifesavers to five children in the pool.

Ms Bootes said the program had been so successful over the years that they had kids in the Same Wave program go off to compete and some had even come back to help teach future generations.

"I particularly find that the kids with disabilities in our program tended to start out feeling really nervous in the water, with some taking years before they got their faces wet but then at some point, they just took off and you saw them relax and enjoy the water, it's just wonderful,"she said.

When asked what she enjoyed most about volunteering at Surf Life Saving, Ms Bootes said the answer stemmed from three things, first having been raised by a mother with strong community values, second her love of the water and third her love of teaching.

"My mum led a pretty good example for me, she was always involved in community work, being part of swimming clubs when I was growing up and when she moved down here she was part of the committee that helped raise money for Imlay house to be built, so yeah it just kind of rubbed off on me I suppose," she said.

"I really enjoy doing patrols, being on the beach with friends and looking after the community."

"I have also always loved teaching, seeing the development of children and adults, watching them grow from being really nervous to really confident in the water, it's a very rewarding experience."

Ms Bootes said one of the things she loved most about her time with Surf Life Saving was the values and lifestyle the not-for-profit community corporation offered.

"I love the fact that whole families can work together on a patrol and in cases like mine, we've gotten to the stage of life now where I'm a grandparent and I help out with Nippers wherein my grandchildren are involved and that's what's so great about it all," she said.

"It's a family orientated organisation that simply provides a great place for families to grow up in."

When asked what Ms Bootes had planned for the future she said she didn't intend to change much but keep busy with her current activities.

"I'm just going to continue doing what I do and just be really grateful to whoever nominated me and hold onto that appreciation," she said.

Ms Bootes said the day she does successfully retire, she'd have the next chapter already planned out.

"I've tried retiring three times and have failed each time," she said with a chuckle.

"When I finally do, I'd like to offer free swimming lessons for kids and adults with disabilities."

"I think the parents of children with disabilities do it really, really tough and if there's any way I can help improve their lives and the kids' lives, I'd like to do it."