CELEBRATING NATIONAL VOLUNTEERS WEEK WITH MICHELLE SAYER

As part of National Volunteers Week, Water Polo Australia is celebrating the thousands of volunteers across the country who help deliver the sport on a weekly basis. 

One of those volunteers is UWA Water Polo Club’s Michelle Sayer who was a finalist in Volunteer of the Year as part of the Water Polo Australia 2023 Awards. 

Immigrating to Australia from South Africa, Michelle credits volunteering in water polo for extending friendships and network. 

“When we moved over to Australia seven years ago it helped us forge relationships in our new community and form a family outside of our family, an extended family. 

“I was roped into it probably about 12 years ago by a friend who was the head of one of the states back in South Africa, for my organisational skills and my people skills and I got hooked. 

“I absolutely love it. I’m an ex-teacher so I absolutely love engaging with the kids and working with kids at a development level, it’s phenomenal.

“I’ve enjoyed the lifelong relationships that you build. Watching kids come out of their shells, and just blossom and become who they’re meant to be,” she said. 

Michelle said she couldn’t recommend volunteering more highly. 

“It’s the most rewarding and enriching thing you will ever do. I’d encourage others to do it!”

While volunteering can sometimes be associated with something for older people to do, Michelle said she’d like to see more young people getting involved in the volunteering side of sport. 

“It’s about giving back. Clubs spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money developing kids. So the kids need to, as part of their development, give back to the clubs that have helped build them into the athletes that they are,” she said.