This September, I’ll be swimming 100 x 100 as part of a community event at Yeronga Park Swimming Complex, where I coached Noah Bourke from the age of seven. In February, Noah passed away of a rare brain cancer, aged eleven.

Sprightly and a little cheeky, Noah was a budding swimmer with a penchant for turning everything into Breaststroke. His wide-eyed attentiveness masked a barely contained impatience to leave the wall first, bursting forth in his frequently heard entreaty of ‘Can we go yet?’

A supportive training buddy to his brother Charlie, and eager to catch his older sister, Layla, Noah was a beloved member of Yeronga Park Swimming Club, particularly the clique affectionately dubbed Svet’s Lost Boys.

The Bourkes have been longtime patrons at Yeronga Pool; Noah’s humour and competitiveness is dearly missed not only by his teammates and coaches, but the far-reaching community of the pool (and beyond, of course).

Join us on September 13 in swimming a few laps for Noah either individually or as part of a team. If you’re not one for the water, there’ll be plenty happening poolside, so please come along and enjoy the event, be part of this special community, and make a donation to Brainchild.