Layne Beachley Swaps Board for Racquet and Beats Drum for Diabetes Research

Seven Time ASP World Surfing Champion and local legend, Layne Beachley, is swapping her surfboard for a tennis racquet in a bid to raise funds for Diabetes Australia-NSW.

Layne in action, cracking yet another forehand winner down the line.

Recognised internationally as the greatest female surfer of all time, Layne once harboured aspirations of following a pro. tennis career (she was about 10 at the time)… but with the help of her astute coach, she soon realised she was even more capable in the water than on land. She of course went on to become one of Australia’s greatest ever athletes.

Layne is teaming up with her old tennis coach in the Open Mixed Doubles event at the NSW Corporate Games on Sunday 22nd March, representing online sports community www.doubledrummer.com - a search and social networking site that connects people through sport. She leads a team of 63 competitors, many of them from the northern beaches.

Double Drummer struck up an alliance with the Games and Diabetes Australia-NSW in 2008 – a natural fit, with both organisations looking to promote an active lifestyle to reduce the obesity rate and therefore resultant diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.

Layne commented on her participation, saying: "I'm competing in the NSW Corporate Games because I love the whole philosophy of the Games, which mirrors my own values and that of the Beachley Athletic brand, as well as fitting perfectly with the three pillars that also make up Double Drummer's values - (i) participation in an active and healthy lifestyle (ii) meeting people and having fun and (iii) helping a good cause.”

The NSW Corporate Games is one of Australia's largest multi-sport championships, with organisers expecting up to 8,000 competitors this year. All entry fees go directly towards supporting the vital work of Diabetes Australia-NSW - Australia's largest charity organisation for people with diabetes.

From an initial team entry of 31 competitors last year, the 2009 Double Drummer team has more than doubled (no pun intended) and will compete across no less than eight different events. The largest contingent (21) will join Layne on the courts of the Geoff Pollard Tennis Centre at Macquarie University, while other Double Drummers will compete in the swimming, squash, dragon boat racing, triathlon, track running and basketball events… and one brave DD representative, Allambie’s Adam van der Veer, will be among an expected 200-strong field to contest the poker tournament!

Another notable local competing this year is former top ranked Australian Junior, Lara Giltinan of Cromer – daughter of 1970s Davis Cup rep. Bob Giltinan – who will line up in the Open Ladies Singles event. She is hoping to emulate her brother Rob by adding a Corporate Games 1st place Medal to her bulging trophy cabinet. (Rob won the 2008 Open Men’s Singles.)

Seven time World Surfing Champion, Layne Beachley will represent Double Drummer at her other favourite sport, tennis, in the NSW Corporate Games on Sunday March 22. 

Balgowlah’s Myra Swanson and Denise Darby are hoping to go one better than their 2nd place in last year’s Ladies Open Doubles but will be challenged all the way by Forestville’s Anna Cosio and Balgowlah’s Bridget Pawley (niece of another local legend, Mick) and North Manly’s Alison Hill and Glenys Dore.

Fairlight’s Simon Smith and Samantha McKenzie are part of a 15-person Double Drummer Dragon Boat team racing over the Olympic course at Penrith and Simon backs up in the squash with Collaroy’s Mike Williams and the aforementioned Denise Darby (all of whom play for the Powerhouse Club at North Manly… and each has a great chance of bringing home a medal).

Other locals in the DD team include Dee Why’s Gina Hill and Forestville’s Gary Nadjarian (who’s hoping to back up with a second consecutive win in the Over 40s Men’s Tennis).

The DD team comprises a wide and diverse group of people – government employees, self-employed entrepreneurs, staff from some of the large corporates not submitting a team in the Games this year, students, retirees (and one World Champion!) … all coming together to have fun playing sport.

Last year, former Olympians Elka Whalan (nee Graham) and Steve Bradbury competed for DD, Elka bringing home two 1st place Medals in the same pool in which she won Olympic Silver in 2000. Commitments in Italy (where she now lives with her new husband, Australian Water Polo Captain, Thomas Whalan) will prevent Elka participating this year, but as an official Double Drummer Ambassador, she is currently in town and helping to promote the online community’s 2nd year of Games competition.

Elka Whalan (nee Graham) on the presentation dais after winning a 1st place medal for Double Drummer at the 2008 NSW Corporate Games.

Those wishing to witness Layne Beachley’s prowess on the tennis court can see her play in the Open Mixed Doubles at the Corporate Games at Cintra Park Tennis Club, Gipps Street, Concord on Sunday 22nd March. Layne's first match is scheduled to kick off at 9:00am.