PRESS RELEASE: Be part of a legendary Illawarra ocean swim dedicated to a legendary life member this weekend
Coalcliff Surf Life Saving Club invites the community to join them this Sunday, 16 November 2025, at Coalcliff Beach to celebrate Dave Winner, a remarkable life member whose inspiring story continues to save lives across Australia.
The club’s marquee event, the Dave Winner Beach to Bombie Swim, returns for its 2nd year — a two-kilometre ocean swim that welcomes both competitive and recreational swimmers to one of the Illawarra’s most stunning coastal locations.
Proudly sponsored by Equilibrium Healthcare and Ohana Ocean Athletics, the event begins at 11:00 am, supported by a full surf lifesaving water safety team.
“The Beach to Bombie Swim has been running for 15 years and continues to attract swimmers of all abilities who love the ocean,” said Rob Deacon, Club Captain of Coalcliff SLSC. “It’s a chance to challenge yourself, celebrate our coastline, and come together as a community.”
Since 2023, this event has carried special significance, celebrating Dave Winner’s remarkable recovery and his new mission through the Dave Winner Foundation—to train one million Australians in CPR for free by 2030.
In 2021, Dave suffered a near-drowning and spinal injury while surfing at Coalcliff Beach, leaving him a partial quadriplegic. His survival was made possible by quick-thinking bystanders — one of whom Dave himself had trained in CPR during his years as Coalcliff’s Chief Instructor.
“One day, the life you save may be mine,” Dave often told his students. That statement became reality.
The Dave Winner Foundation, supported by the IMB Bank Community Foundation, now delivers free CPR training across Australia — online and in person — ensuring everyone, regardless of background, can gain life-saving skills. Swimmers can register for the Beach to Bombie Swim online for $30 before the day or $40 on the day:
www.onlineentry.com.au/CoalCliffe_2025.aspx
After the swim, competitors, friends, and supporters are encouraged to join Dave for lunch at Coledale RSL, where his good mate Pete Jordan will perform some of Dave’s favourite tunes.
