Goodbye forever to Eugene! Hello Mick Fanning,
AO!
Did you know Australia still toils under the yoke of the
British monarchy, our necks under the jackboot of Queen
Elizabeth II?
Does that strike you as odd? If you’re American, you might
wonder why we cower under the gown of our American protectors,
blooding our soldiers in futile wars in return, while still bowing
to a hereditary ruler.
Of course, one bonus of our ties to England is the honours
system: a series of awards doled out every January 26, Australia
Day, to various politicians, sportsman, scientists and whomever
else might’ve distinguished themselves in public life.
Of the 140 Officers of the Order of Australia (AO) awarded
today, Mick Fanning stands in line, the third surfer, after Rabbit
Bartholomew and Layne Beachley, to receive the handsome gold medal,
which also comes with a stick pin version for daily use.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPs6y5QDQPr/
As the Gold Coast Bulletin
reports:
MICK Fanning’s mother had the privilege of being the person
to inform him he was going to be appointed an Officer of the order
of Australia.
She also had the joy of telling the world champion surfer
what it meant.
“He wasn’t sure and when I told him it was the second top
(civilian honour), he was just speechless,” Liz Osborne said of the
latest — and arguably greatest — honour to have been bestowed on
her baby boy.
I said ‘Mick, you’re 35 years old, people wait a lifetime
for this’ and he said ‘I can’t believe how honoured I am’ and I
said ‘you know what, Mick? I’m honoured that you’re my
son’.
“The AO is partly because he’s three-time world champion but
it’s because he does so much for everybody else. It’s for
distinguished service to surfing andfor his charity work.
That’s really, really important and that’s what I’m proud
of.”
Fanning, who plays an active role with charities including
the Starlight Foundation, Wings for Life spinal cord research and
Cure for Motor Neuron Disease, said receiving the Australia Day
honour was on a par with his three world titles.
I couldn’t believe it really. I’m chuffed and very
honoured,” he said of joining Layne Beachley as one of the few
surfers to receive the honour.
While Fanning and his mum have known about the AO for
several weeks ago, in recent days they’ve been able to share the
news with a few other special people.
“I’m proud of all my children, they’ve all done so well, and
the best thing is my children are so proud of Mick — and that
includes Sean and Peter,” Liz said of the sons who died in 1998 and
2015.
“I spoke with (my son) Edward in Bali today and he was so
thrilled for Mick and my daughter (Rachel) is here and she’s
excited.
“When I told Mick the news, I also said ‘I know you’re not
supposed to tell anybody but I’m sure your dad would love to know’
so he rang his dad and I think he cried because he was so
proud.”
John Fanning separated from the mother of his five children
when Mick was two. When Liz and the kids moved from western Sydney
to Ballina and later the Gold Coast, he remained down
south.
“John has always supported me as their mother but I can tell
you we’ve been brought much closer together through the years
because of the tragedies and everything that’s happened in the
family,” she said.
“It’s really nice to think that once again after 30-odd
years we can talk about our children and not get angry with each
other (laughs). It’s beautiful.”
As is the story Fanning’s biographer told when asked to
reflect on the surfer’s qualities out of the water.
“I remember being in South Africa and meeting the local lady
Primrose and her son who helped when she was diagnosed with Aids,”
surf writer Tim Baker recalled.
“He paid for her medical help to get her back to health and
then for her training as a nurse so she could help other
people.
“Most pro surfers staying in these luxurious beachfront
homes at Jeffreys Bay probably didn’t even get to know the domestic
help whereas she just about became family to him.
“Mick was a bit of a wild child at a young age like a lot of
surfers but the way he’s matured is a real credit to him and his
mum … he’s done more than almost anyone to bring surfing to
mainstream attention and in a completely positive light.”
