Gail Salter readily admits she is a sporting tragic.
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There isn’t many sports she hasn’t tried her hand at, or been involved in in some capacity.
“I’m happy to have a go at anything,” she said, adding that one of the wonderful things about sport is there is something that everyone can play or do.
Salter was deservedly acknowledged for her contribution across a range of sports as the November Sportsmans Warehouse Community Sports Award winner.
Earlier this year she was awarded life membership of the Tamworth Water Polo Association in recognition of her years of service to the sport.
As well as representing Tamworth for many years, she has coached local and representative teams, and has been the umpire delegate for country, state and national championships. She is currently the referee coordinator for Tamworth Water Polo and a voice for the county as the regional director of Water Polo NSW.
She was also on the founding board of the Longyard Golf Club, has served on the board of the Tamworth Hockey Association, and coaches local school and club sides as well as umpiring locally and at a state level.
On the field she has donned the blue of NSW at masters level and played both outdoor and indoor cricket for Tamworth.
The golf course though is where she has enjoyed some of her biggest successes – winning NSW State Sandgreen, NSW Country and NSW junior mixed foursomes titles, and representing NSW as a junior.
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Fittingly it was where her love of sport first flourished.
One of her earliest sporting memories is following her parents around the golf course.
“Mum and dad used to play the mixed competition. I was about six or seven walking around with them,” she said.
“Every now and then dad would give me a ball and stick and I’d have a hit.”
She also recalled meeting Lee Elder – the first African-American to play at The Masters.
“He was out here playing when we had a big pro-am here in Tamworth in the 60s and 70s,” she said.
Her passion for water polo was sparked during her years at Tamworth High School.
At the time a water polo powerhouse, she said it was “a natural progression”.
A competent swimmer, she had the hand-eye coordination from years playing basketball, hockey and tennis so when they said they wanted to start a girls water polo team Salter was one of the first to sign up.
“Just through necessity I started refereeing,” she said.
“(But) It’s been interesting and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
A national accredited referee, she recently refereed at the NSW Water Polo Festival and in January will be pool deck at the nationals.
“I’ve also been invited to the FINA referee school. I was absolutely gob-smacked when I got the invitation,” she said.
“It only happens every two years and for three days before nationals.”
“I’ve also been very privileged to be state selector for last four or five years.”
“I also enjoy umpiring hockey. I think you get a better understanding of the game.”
Salter also plays for North Tamworth in the Tamworth women’s cricket competition, and has previously padded up in the local men’s fourth grade competition where she played alongside current Australian softball captain Stacey Porter.
“I was watching [husband] Craig and I thought I could do this, so I played with the fourth grade men’s side,” she said.
“I absolutely loved it.”
She reflected on how lucky she has been to have the mentors she has, such as golf guru Terry Hayes, who she still calls Dr Hayes, and water polo supremo Ron Surtees, and what sport has given her.
“The life skills I’ve learnt, the people I’ve met and the places I’ve been around the world, you can’t beat it,” she said.
“No matter where you go sport is a universal language – that’s the beauty of it.”
Fortunate to have a “similarly minded” husband in Craig, their passion for sport has been passed on to the next generation with children Mitch and Katie both talented sportsmen.
Salter has no plans of slowing down anytime soon, replying “hell no” when the question was put to her.