Two Swim, Sport and Leisure employees have taken home honours at the annual Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV) Industry Awards.
The awards recognise excellence within the aquatic and recreation industry, with 21 awards presented out of a competitive field of 237 nominations. The City of Greater Geelong was well-represented with eight individuals and one venue nominated, showcasing our commitment to the industry.
We're proud to celebrate Sarah Rindel from Splashdown who won the Most Valuable Employee Award and Leisurelink's Jeremy Williams, winner of the Personal Trainer/Gym Instructor Award.
Sarah joined the City as a Lifeguard in 2021, however her rapid progression within the organisation has seen her work in Duty Management, Coordinator and Centre Manager positions, before becoming the permanent Aquatic Operations Coordinator at Splashdown last year.
Sarah has increased the proportion of permanently filled Lifeguard shifts from 22 per cent to 68 per cent within 12 months, leveraged her PhD in forensic science to resolve algae issues through evidence-based trials and maintenance strategies, and refined policies and systems that led to Splashdown achieving the highest-ever Platinum Pools assessment score in our network (99.54 per cent).
Since joining the team in April 2024, Jeremy has been instrumental in the successful establishment of Leisurelink's Personal Training (PT) program. The centre averaged just 4.1 hours of PT per week but with Jeremy on board, this jumped nearly 600 per cent to an average of 28.7 hours – personally taking on 40 clients per fortnight over 47 hours, with a 90 per cent retention rate.
Jeremy is renowned for his friendly and client-focused approach, creating a welcoming environment that encourages return visits from community members of different ages, fitness levels and backgrounds.
Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM
We are immensely proud to see Sarah and Jeremy recognised at the ARV Industry Awards.Their dedication and passion for our community's aquatic and recreation facilities set a benchmark for excellence.
On behalf of Council, we thank you for setting high standards for these centres, for embracing opportunities and inspiring others along the way.
We can't wait to see what else you have in store for the community!
Splashdown Aquatic Operations Coordinator Sarah Rindel
I'd say my favourite thing is the community impact aspect – you can really see how what you're doing impacts the patrons who come in and out of Splashdown every day.We definitely try what we can to problem solve and improve efficiencies and the City took on board the evidence-based trial I proposed to address algae in the pools, which has worked well so far.
Personal Trainer Jeremy Williams
I honestly enjoy coming to work each day and I get a lot of satisfaction from working with people one and one, seeing the difference the training is making to their lifestyle.My clients are students, mums, athletes and retirees aged from 18 to 89 - in fact that 89-year-old has won indoor rowing competitions since we've been training together. She's a machine!
The ARV Industry Awards is an annual event hosted by ARV, the peak body for the aquatic and recreation industry in Victoria, highlighting the remarkable efforts and achievements within the industry.
