8 February 2021 | Tennis SA

Australian Open 2021 is honouring
Australians who save and protect lives by featuring the voices of community
heroes for the tournament’s Live Electronic Line Calling.

The Behind the Line project will use
pre-recorded voices for the terms, ‘Out’, ‘Fault’ and ‘Foot Fault’ to acknowledge
Australia’s community champions including front-line workers in the nation’s
pandemic response, firefighters, surf life savers and other emergency services
personnel.

Among the heroes chosen is a Victorian paramedic
who contracted Covid-19 in 2020, a New South Wales SES volunteer who saved two
people from floodwaters in January and a Queensland lifesaver who represents an
entire patrol team which rescued seven people from a rip at the end of January.
 

Ambulance Victoria paramedic Steve
Gelagotis said being chosen to be a voice of electronic line calling at the
Australian Open is an honour.

“It definitely wasn’t something I expected, but I
see it as an honour to be able to represent Ambulance Victoria and have my
voice featured in the line calling. The Australian Open is an iconic sporting
event and I remember as a little kid, in front of Mum and Dad, I would sit in
front of the TV and yell out the line calls in different accents to pretend I
was a linesman. It is an extreme privilege to be part of the Australian Open
this year,” Gelagotis said.

SES NSW Hunter Central Cluster Commander Simon
Merrick dove into floodwaters with a harness attached in a swollen Hunter
Valley river to rescue two people.

“The experience is one that I will never forget. To
be able to help two people who were in a very dark space at the time and to be
able to bring them to safety is a feeling that myself, the team and the other
agencies that were there will not forget. To talk to those people once we go
them to shore and the appreciation they were able to show, is what makes
volunteering so special and why this country is so great,” Merrick said.

Kyal Thornton from Tallebudgera Life
Saving Club led a patrol of volunteers who rescued seven people who were
caught in a rip on Australia Day with one swimmer needing resuscitation.

“To have my voice featured on the electronic line
calling is me doing it on behalf of the whole patrol group. I think they all
deserve to be recognised, they did a great job on the day and everyone went
home safely,” Thornton said.

Heroes have been chosen from every state and
territory and reflect unique aspects of Australian life.
Other heroes featured include Dana Mitchell from Kangaroo Island
in South Australia, which suffered the devastating impact of the 2020
bushfires, a Northern Territory volunteer, Reanna Sanders, who cooks and
serves 100 free meals to people in need and a swimming instructor, Jackie
Rousseau, who developed a free program in the ACT to prevent drownings
of children whose family are unable to afford lessons. 

Australia’s busiest volunteer sea rescue service,
Fremantle Sea Rescue from Western Australia is represented by skipper, David
Hadlow and the efforts of Tasmania’s Fire Brigade Campania branch in
bringing the community together during Covid-19 is acknowledged through second officer, Kate Gilham.

Implemented as part of the tournament’s COVIDSafe
protocols, Live Electronic Line Calling has also reduced the number of people
required onsite at Melbourne Park.

Live Electronic Line Calling is delivered through
remote tracking cameras around the court, automatically sending the audio line
calls in real time.

Behind the Line Community Heroes

Kyal Thornton	Tallebudgera Surf Life Saving Club	Patrol captain	Qld
Steven Gelagotis	Ambulance Victoria	Paramedic	Vic
Simon Merrick	NSW SES	Cluster Commander	NSW
Dana Mitchell	Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park	Owner	SA
Jackie Rousseau	Royal Life Saving	Program developer	ACT
Reanna Sanders	Aunty’s Free Feeds	Founder	NT
Kate Gillham	Tasmania Fire Service	Volunteer	Tas
David Hadlow	Fremantle Sea Rescue	Rescue Skipper	WA
Stuart Williams	Victoria Police	First Constable	Vic
Tanya Brooks	Victoria Police	Sergeant	Vic