Beginning at Buckingham Palace in London on March 13, 2017, the Queen’s Baton Relay will have traversed 230,000km when it arrives at Main Beach on the Gold Coast on April 4, making it the longest and most accessible Queen’s Baton Relay in history.
Among the batonbearers in this historic event are more than 130 QSuper members from across Queensland, nominated for their life-long community contributions. One of those members is Connie Martens – nominated for her contribution to the sporting community in Mareeba.
Arriving in Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands close to 11 years ago, Connie was dismayed to discover the town had no netball competition, or even netball facilities. So, she did something about it – with the help of fellow resident and batonbearer, Meredith Ford.
Almost nine years later, in 2016, the friends played their first game at Mareeba’s new netball courts.
“We have always been like that in our family – if you can do something you do,” says the 49-year-old mother of two. “You don’t do it for recognition.”
But recognition is what Connie’s got – after being nominated for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games’ Queen’s Baton Relay.
Along with Meredith, Connie carried the Baton through Mareeba on March 14.
“I do appreciate the lady who nominated me,” she says. “She spoke to me about it and said ‘do you realise what you’ve done for the community? We never had a netball association in Mareeba’.”
The QSuper member says it’s nice to be reminded that you’ve done something worthwhile for the community.
“We were very lucky in that we were given $250,000 by Bendigo Bank, and then we raised $250,000 through the community and that was matched dollar for dollar by the State Government. I knew we had generous people in Mareeba, but I was amazed we could raise that sort of money.
“Today the Mareeba Netball Association has a junior and a ladies’ competition and plays weekly against clubs from other towns. It’s really brought the town together and given a lot of people a new interest.”
She says it was a thrill to be part of Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games – despite being 1800km from the Gold Coast.