Cyclist hit by car during triathlon chaos

Convinced of economic benefit 

Lack of consultation from tri organisers

SOME drivers caught in traffic or stopped by road blocks on November 23 were taking out their frustration on volunteers, but they had frustrations of their own. 

Ted Bickford, who organised a group of Westpac Rescue Helicopter volunteers to help in the running of the event (which included shorter triathlons in the morning before the longer Challenge event in the afternoon), said there was a lot of confusion on the ground about who was supposed to be doing what. 

An information night staged by organisers Elite Energy on the Thursday before the event left volunteers none the wiser about their roles on the Saturday, he said. 

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter team volunteers for a range of these kind of events, about three a year, and Mr Bickford said usually the information night equips volunteers with everything they need – a running sheet, their shirts and confirmation of their roles. 

“It was a barbecue – it was nice, people went home with a nice feed, but that was about it,” Mr Bickford said. 

“We do lots of these events, and this was the worst (organised). I spoke to the athletes and they thought it was a great event and a great day, but they don’t know all these things that have to happen behind the scenes, that have to be done right.”

Mr Bickford turned up with his group of volunteers as arranged for the early shift at 6am on November 23. They turned up a bit early, Mr Bickford said, and the volunteers knew they were likely to be there up to six hours. Some, who were on the elderly side, were equipped with chairs. 

But, when they turned up, there was nothing for them to do, he said. The group became increasingly frustrated as time ticked away, and no one could tell them what they were supposed to do, or where they were supposed to be. In order to keep them busy, at one stage they were asked to thread ribbons through florescent tubes for the runners to wear in the evening. 

At another time, they were asked to sort runners’ clothing, and Mr Bickford said no system had been put in place for this. They were also asked to man a short section of the course, but the numbers of volunteers in that one section meant they ended up standing no more than “10 feet apart”. 

While the outcome was good for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, with the service receiving a donation for the work of the volunteers, Mr Bickford said there was a great deal of unnecessary confusion on the day. 

“I think we may struggle to get volunteers for next year’s,” he said.