Founder of Skydive the Beach Anthony Boucaut’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games’ Queen’s Baton Relay is looking unlikely with the businessman recovering from a back injury.
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Skydive Australia spokesman Andrew Denman said it was almost certain Mr Boucaut would have to pull out of Monday’s event where he was to parachute in with the sporting symbol, but the show must go on.
Chief skydive instructor Joe Hallin is ready to step in of Mr Boucaut is deemed unfit on Monday, so the baton will continue its journey and land at Stuart Park from the air at around 9:42am.
The baton began its relay at Buckingham Palace on March 13 in 2017 ahead of the 21st games to be held on the Gold Coast this April. So far it has visited 70 nations and territories spanning 230,000 kilometres across 388 days of travel.
It will travel through Wollongong, Kiama and then Nowra on Monday with several local stars and heroes. Some of these include surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, the directors of McKeon’s Swim School Ron and Susie McKeon and the Cancer Council’s Grant Plecas.
WHERE THE CELEBRATIONS ARE
Stuart Park in North Wollongong is where the action begins on Monday with the baton skydiving into town at 10:10am where a school and community celebration will be happening.
Students from independent, Catholic and public primary schools will also be in attendance of the celebration which includes a Welcome to Country ceremony and live music from a didgeridoo player, and the Beat Meisters..
The 19 baton bearers will then relay the Games symbol until it arrives in the Crown Street Mall at 11:35am, where a second community event will kick off at 11:40am.
Here, children from local child care centres will be excited to meet some of the baton bearers. Lord Mayor Cr Gordon Bradbery will welcome the bearers on stage while the live entertainment continues.
The baton will head south to Kiama Leisure Centre with the estimated time of arrival 12:58pm before stopping by the blowhole before making its way to Kiama Showground at 1:40pm.
Community celebrations will be had at both the showgrounds and at Hindmarsh Park.
It will then travel via helicopter to Shoalhaven River, then by Navy boat from Riverbank Reserve across the Shoalhaven River.
Each host nation of the Commonwealth Games has the responsibility to create a Queen’s Baton. It needs to not only reflect design, cultural and human values it must also genuinely engage and inspire the Commonwealth to come together to celebrate.
The current Australian version has taken its shape, form and the contrasting materials used are reminiscent of surfboards, surfboats and other surf craft heritage according to the GC2018 website. Light is said to reflect off the metal stringer, mimicking the sun striking the Gold Coast skyscrapers and glinting at sunrise and sunset.
The opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games will be held on the Gold Coast on April 4.
WHERE TO WATCH IT
The Queen’s Baton will arrive at Albion Park Airport and shot up into the sky, then parachute down to Stuart Park around 9:42am.
The community is encouraged to line the streets as the baton travels along Cliff Road to Flagstaff Hill before moving down Marine Drive to Crown Street.
From there it moves to Kiama for more celebrations from 12:58pm.
Don Hodgekiss is the first Kiama baton bearer along the route from Havilah Place, then down Terralong Street, up and around the lighthouse to the Blowhole, before making its way back along Terralong Street heading south.
The baton will swing past the Little Blowhole before stopping at Kiama Showground around 1:44pm for the Kiama Community Celebration.
It will then be taken by air to Shoalhaven River in Nowra at 4:44pm.
BATON BEARERS
Wollongong:
09:42 AM Anthony Boucaut (health dependent)
10:21 AM Stuart Park Community Celebration
10:47 AM Marie Kay
10:50 AM Barbara Edwards
10:52 AM Mark Hill
10:55 AM Raymond Brown
10:57 AM Maximus Singleton
10:59 AM Hugh Carpenter
11:02 AM Greg Copeland
11:04 AM Nicole Calarco
11:06 AM Geoff Phillips
11:09 AM Ron McKeon
11:11 AM Susie McKeon
11:13 AM Mitchell Wright
11:16 AM Thomas Dawson
11:18 AM Natalie Gartshore
11:21 AM Grant Plecas
11:23 AM Victor Schweikert
11:25 AM Josie McCann
11:28 AM Benton McCann
11:35 AM Wollongong Community Celebration
Kiama:
12:58 PM Don Hodgekiss
01:01 PM Nayeli Gajardo
01:03 PM Kim Lacey
01:06 PM Nick McInerney
01:08 PM David Leigh
01:11 PM John Chaplin
01:13 PM Karen Murphy
01:16 PM Paul Houghton
01:18 PM Colin Rathbone
01:25 PM Lloyd Ferguson
01:28 PM Heather McAlpine
01:30 PM Kathleen Tanner
01:33 PM Donald Brown
01:35 PM Sally Fitzgibbons
01:44 PM Kiama Community Celebration
Nowra:
04:44 PM Captain Fiona Sneath
04:46 PM Julie Dart
04:49 PM Andrew McVey
04:51 PM Rajarshi Ray
04:54 PM Rosemary Morgan
04:56 PM Ken Hutt
04:58 PM Susan Courtney
05:01 PM Leslie Sykes
05:03 PM Rodney Crouch
05:06 PM Jan Gilmour
05:08 PM Stuart Leyland
05:11 PM Craig Norris
05:13 PM Michael Vassallo
05:15 PM Casey Sablowski (Eastham)
05:18 PM William Barry
05:20 PM Makynli Dale
05:23 PM Melissa McManus
05:25 PM Kristine Vincent
05:27 PM Raymond Vincent
05:30 PM Nowra Community Celebration