Sue Taylor AM was awarded the Life Membership of the Commonwealth Games Australia, Western Australian Division, at its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday night.
Sue is a familiar face in the netball community for her volunteer work and promotion of the game within Western Australia, where she was later honoured with Netball WA Life Membership in 1979. In 2000, Sue was again acknowledged for her tireless work supporting and promoting not only netball, but all women’s sport, with the Member of the Order of Australia.
This most recent recognition highlights Sue’s long history of dedication, passion, and contribution to sport, where she has been widely acknowledged through the various roles within the Commonwealth Games:
- Commonwealth Games Australia WA Division - Vice President from 2007 and has held the position ever since.
- Commonwealth Games Federation Board 2003-2007
- Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee 2001-2007
- Commonwealth Games Australia
- Board of Management 1994-2011
- Vice President 1998-2006
Netball WA General Manager of Community, Liz Booth congratulated Sue: “This is a wonderful achievement, Sue is so deserving of this accolade, she has dedicated so much of her time to sport, particularly netball both at a state, national and internationally.”
Sue credits her father, who at the age of 16, gave her advice which has carried her through her career including sitting on the many various committees and boards.
“It really started when my father had said to me, when I went home and complained about things not working the way I thought: ‘well if you want to fix something go to the people that fix it, that can fix it and join the committee,' so that’s when I ended up going to club meetings way back then and I’ve been there ever since.” Sue said.
Sue said without the introduction of netball to the Commonwealth Games program in 1998 and the need for a delegate to sit on the Games’ board, she would not have had the opportunity to work internationally and experience all she has, including meeting the Queen, traveling the world including visiting India and Nigeria.
“In 1994, the Commonwealth Games board was made up of representatives of the sports that were going to be on the program at the next Commonwealth Games (1998) and so I became the netball delegate to Comm Games. That was just amazing, to meet the people I’ve met and gone to the places I’ve been to, there’s no way I could have done that without being involved in Comm Games.
“I used to sit at the table with Kings, Queens, Prime Ministers at a CHOGM meeting was all a bit mind boggling, I just love the experiences, like going to places like Abuja and Nigeria because they were bidding for the games, was terrific it was absolutely unbelievable life changing experiences.”
Sue continues to volunteer and promote women’s sport, while working with organisations to encourage participation in sport. In 2007, she joined the board of the International Netball Federation, where she has been Vice-President since 2011.
There is no sign of Sue giving up her volunteer work, next year her term as Vice-President with the International Netball Federation comes to an end, but she has some other work in the pipeline.
“I finish with international netball next year and I can’t re-nominate so as of July next year I’m out of the official scene, but what I’ve decided to do is help write the history of netball generally and I’ve just started that process.”
“And that’s what netball and sport generally, but particularly netball, it is the continuity of the friendships and the association with people is just fantastic.”
