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In 1976,
tragically, a fatality occurred during a club race on Anzac
Parade at Maroubra. The members realised that the ever increasing numbers of
motor vehicles had made racing on the public streets very dangerous. As a
result of this the Executive of the club approached the Randwick Council and a
deal was struck whereby the club changed its name to the Randwick Botany Cycling
Club and obtained the use of Heffron Park Maroubra for the holding of club
races. It was not long after that that the club obtained permission to build the
clubhouse under the grandstand of the Heffron Park swimming pool and the club
has remained at this location to the present date.
The club has produced many State, National and even
Olympic champions. One of the club’s most accomplished cyclists was Richard
Paris. He won the State 1,000 metre time trial and 4000 metre pursuit
championship several times in succession. He was selected to represent New
South Wales at the Australian Titles and became national champion in these
events. In 1964 Dick was selected to represent Australia at the 1964 Tokyo
Olympics. Other Randwick Botany Olympians included Graham Sears who competed at
the Moscow Olympics in 1980 and Julie Speight who was the first Australian woman
to compete at an international track championship and finished 5th at
the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
In 1999 the club had approximately 90 members. Our
membership has been growing steadily since then and currently we have approximately
150 members including a strong
veteran component. From 1997 to the present there have been many State Title
winners and medallists in the veteran category including Tanya Bosche, Gai
Cridland, Brian Martin, Chris White and John Buckton, all of whom were between 40
and 50 years old.
The club is the only club in the eastern zone which caters
for junior riders and currently have approximately 45 junior members whose ages
range from
7 years to 16 years of age. From 1994 to 1997 one of our juniors, Shaun Hoskings was a multiple State title winner and National medalist in the Under 15
and Under 17 Junior divisions. In 1998, Alex Sommer took over from Shaun and he
also, between 1998 to 2000, was a multiple State title holder and National
medallist. In 2000, two of junior riders, Luke Cridland and Kate Buckton were
both State track medallists and were both selected to represent their
club at the National road titles in Tasmania in 2000. Luke won a Silver and
Bronze medal at the 2001 State track titles at the Dunc Gray Olympic
velodrome and was selected to represent NSW at the National Track
Titles in Brisbane. 2002 has seen the club with 3 new State champions.
Shaun Higgerson won the Under 19's Mens NSW Hill climb championships. Amy
Eager won the Under 19's Womens NSW Hill climb championships and Britney Orr won
the Under 17's Womens NSW Hill climb championships. So far 2003 has seen
two cyclists named as NSW cyclists of the year (for 2002) in their age category.
Brittany Orr was named Junior Under 17 Women Cyclist of the year and Chris White
was named Masters 5 Cyclist of the year. We had two new State Champions
in 2003. Chris White in the Masters 5 Individual Pursuit and John Buckton
in the Masters 4 Individual Pursuit. In 2004 Janelle Lindsay in company
with Lindy Hou won an Olympic gold medal in the 2004 Paralympic games in Athens.
We have had
numerous State and National medals in the years from 2004 onwards and in March
2010, 2 of our members pulled on "Rainbow Jerseys" having become UCI World
Masters Track champions. Gavin White in the Masters 2 events and Ian
Aitken in the Masters 5 event with John Collette getting the silver medal in the
Masters 4 events.
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