Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Avondale College staff members and students greeted Australian cricketer Brett Lee with a Mexican Wave at a festive forum this past Wednesday (May 26).
Brett Lee with student leaders and president Dr Ray Roennfeldt at Avondale College. Credit: Ann Stafford.
Brett had come to the Lake Macquarie campus to speak about life as an elite sportsperson, to motivate student leaders and to meet the staff.
Beach balls, classic catches and national flags added to the fun as Brett answered questions staff members and students sent from their mobile phones during forum. One question came as a proposition: Will you marry me?
Bachelor of Business student Kyle Morrison showed plenty of aplomb as host. He donned cricketing whites to face a delivery Brett bowled down the centre isle of Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church and, later, asked Brett to pass on his contact details to model Lara Bingle, the former fiancée of Australian test cricket vice-captain Michael Clarke.
Brett also signed bats and balls student club One Mission will auction to raise money for the service projects it will complete in Cambodia this year.
After forum, Brett spoke with student leaders, including Jared Benard, the president of the Avondale Student Association. He found Brett to be a “down-to-earth, modest guy” who succeeded because he set goals and worked hard to achieve them. “I remember him telling the students, ‘There’s only 11 out of 20 million people who get to play for Australia at any one time. The odds aren’t great. I’m one of the fortunate ones.’”
Chaplain Dr Wayne French describes the cricketer as friendly and humble. “I just loved his clean image.” The reality of this perception impressed Kyle, too. “Brett seems to carry it off without even trying.”
Brett ended his visit at a lunch where president Dr Ray Roennfeldt presented a plaque on behalf of the staff. The plaque honoured Brett “for his skill as a cricketer, for his sportsmanship and for his support of young adults, particularly those at risk.” Reading from the plaque, Ray described Brett as “a role model for young Australians who believes, as we do, in the values of leadership and of social responsibility.”
Brett is one of the fastest bowlers in the world—one of his deliveries has been recorded at 161 kilometres an hour. The 33-year-old grew up in Wollongong, New South Wales, where he discovered his passion for the game at a young age. Brett took five wickets on his test debut during the Boxing Day match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2000. Eight years later he won Australian cricket’s Test Player of the Year award and its highest honour, the Allan Border Medal.