SWIMMING MOURNS THE LOSS OF TRUDY HOUSMAN

February 17: Australia's "Swimmers of the 80s", led by the incomparable super coach Bill Sweetenham, have banded together to celebrate the life and times of former Australian distance swimming champion Trudy Housman, who lost her eight-year battle with cancer.

Trudy died peacefully in The Wesley Hospital last Sunday morning, aged just 47.

She is survived by her loving husband Michael Gourley and daughters Mikaela and Talyssa, parents Cliff and Dawn, sister Kym and brother Glen.

Family and friends will celebrate Trudy's wonderful Life and Achievements at the Chapel of Centenary Memorial Gardens, corner Wacol Station Road and Wolston Road, Sumner at 10am on Saturday

In recent years, months, weeks and days, Sweetenham and the "Swimmers of the 80s" inspired the formation of the Trudy Housman Group of friends to celebrate her life on Facebook with an outpouring of sympathies and tributes from swimmers from around Australia.

Sweetenham has been supported by Trudy's lifelong friend Kerri Williams (Dimou), Olympian and 1986 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Suzi Ford (nee Baumer) and her husband, 1982 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Tim Ford who have all brought together the group of "80s swimmers" and coaches, revealing some amazing stories and flashbacks about a whip of a kid from Rockhampton who loved to swim and who everyone loved.

Trudy would go on to become one of the inaugural squad members at the AIS in Canberra and who won the Australian 800 and 1500m freestyle championships in 1981, when she also finished second in the 400m and third in the 200m freestyle.

She was later joined at the top level by her brother Glen Housman who would go on to become one of the world's finest distance freestylers, winning Olympic silver and Commonwealth Games gold over 1500m.

She spent three years at the AIS between 1981 and 1983.

Trudy was a member of the Australian team in for the New Zealand Games in 1981 in Christchurch where she finished second in the 400m freestyle and third in the 200m freestyle.

Sweetenham has inspired many swimmers in the pool over a lifetime love affair with swimming and no matter how hard a task master he was - he left an indelible mark on everyone who he trained and anyone he took in to his inner sanctum - one of swimming's great men.

He will address the Service on Saturday and will no doubt deliver his tribute in typical Sweetenham manner with great respect, knowledge and a touch of Sweetenham humour.

His band of 80s followers who have supported Trudy's plight include Audrey Moore, Peter Dale, Lyn Prosser, Tracey Wickham, Janelle Elford, Julie McDonald, Greg Fasala, Tim Ford, Suzie Landells, Graeme McGufficke, Adam Sambrook, Krista Muir, Barry Woodger, Sally Morgan, Kym Boorman, Dimity Douglas, Jillian Collingwood, Bernard Pegram, Wanda Smales, Sarah Falconer and many many more who have all banded together to leave Trudy what will be an extraordinary legacy.

They and Trudy's friends have all written their moving, at times touching messages on Trudy's Group on Facebook.

So many of them trained together in Rockhampton or under the legendary Bill Sweetenham at Brisbane's famous swimming HQ "The Valley  Baths", at the AIS or raced against her at Queensland and Australian Championships.

All of them came in contact with one of life's little gems.

Their tributes, anecdotes, stories and photos will be compiled by Suzi Baumer and Kerri Williams and will be presented as an extraordinary legacy for one of Australia's much loved swimmers.

Former distance swimmer Krista Muir remembers one particular incident with Trudy at the 1981 Open Nationals in Adelaide.

"We were walking out onto the pool deck for the final of the 1500m, everyone had nearly left the stadium, as it was the last race and it was just pouring down with rain," recalls Krista.

"I remember the officials saying to us, just don't step on the electronic timing cords (that were taped to the pool deck).

"As we were walking out the first thing I did was step on them, I got the biggest shock straight up my body and turned around to see Trudy who was walking behind me in fear thinking I just about killed myself and all Trudy could do was give me that look like a mum does. She said nothing but giggle under her breath.

"I came in second behind Trudy in that race and she leaned over the lane rope to give me a hug and I remember saying, ‘don't touch me Trud I still can't feel anything and I may electrocute you.'

"We could not stop laughing, she even kept others from touching me just in case. I will never forget that time, I always remember how accepting Trudy was."

The "Swimmers of the 80s" will be out in force to support Trudy's family and friends at a Saturday's Memorial Service.

(In lieu of flowers, donations to the Wesley Hospital, Palliative Care Ward 4A, would be appreciated.)

Browse through Trudy's Friends Facebook page for a wonderful trip through memory lanes of a young woman who was so loved and respected and touched so many hearts and who has left us way too early. Ian Hanson...

http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_108150872592283