Having played tennis from the age of twelve with a few lessons purchased by his mother in Sydney, Ossie developed a lifelong love for the game.

It didn’t take him long to get involved on the club committee in 1992 he was elected captain the very next year.

Recently, Ossie was recognized by the club committee for his long service of 25 years, and received his award from club, president Margaret Guider.

Ossie’s duties have included serving on the committee and attending monthly meetings to help maintain and grow the club.

He has taken great joy in developing his Thursday afternoon men’s social tennis group that started off with four players back in 1992.

Thursday afternoon players are now often seen filling the courts from 1pm onward.

In the earlier years, Ossie helped establish a Friday night mixed comp and was the club’s first maintenance manager, with help from other club members at various times.

It is noteworthy that for the past ten years Ossie has spearheaded the junior player fundraiser “the jokers surprise”, held each Wednesday night at the Forster Bowling Club.

The funds raised from the raffle benefit aspiring juniors on the tennis circuit.

As well as being an avid tennis player, Ossie had a passion for the beach that led to a career with the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS).

Ossie became a delegate to the RLSS, which led him to a career teaching lifesaving and resuscitation.

At the young age of 21 Ossie became the first person in Australia to be employed full time by the RLSS.

He went on to teach children and the general public all over NSW and further afield.

Older techniques in resuscitation were replaced by mouth to mouth and Ossie was the first to teach this in Australia.

Still active on the court and enjoying his Thursday men’s afternoon social tennis, Ossie has no plans of retiring as club captain any time soon. In his 25 years he has run unopposed.

Congratulations Ossie Selwood on a job well done.