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BARNABÁS
BENE PRESIDENT OF THE PORT MACQUARIE ROWING CLUB
i t F RONT
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ALISTAIR F L O W E R
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FLOWER HOTELS
Alistair Flower, Managing Director of Flower Hotels chats to wonderful humans within our community. This month he caught up with International Rowing Champion & Port Macquarie Rowing Club president, Barnabás Bene.
B
arny, you’re not originally from Port, tell us a bit about yourself? I am originally from Hungary, I have been here for 2 years now. I came over to visit a friend in Sydney and fell in love with Australia. I moved to Port Macquarie to pursue a job as an Au Pair for a local family. Recently I’ve been busy training for the Iron Man, that unfortunately was cancelled for the 4th time. I’ve started playing in a local jazz band and am also the President for the Port Macquarie Rowing Club. Have you always had a passion for rowing? What are your greatest rowing achievements? My mother was a great rower, and my sister follower her footsteps. I followed my sister to all of her rowing competitions. I started rowing in my last year of high school, I quickly became competitive. I was the Hungarian National Champion in 2015, in 2019 I won the International Rowing Regatta in Slovenia. Here in Australia received first place in the National Indoor Rowing Championships in 2019.
44 GREATER PORT MACQUARIE
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Tell us about your role in the Port seen a lot of interest from students and we are Macquarie Rowing Club? excited to be growing our club. I joined the club as a social member, and The Port Macquarie Rowing Club has its then found my way onto the committee. After annual major event coming up ‘3 Rivers 8 months the long term Marathon’. What does president stepped down, and this event mean to the I love teaching I was asked to take on the rowing club? people the skills job. It’s a big job but one I 3 Rivers Marathon is a of rowing, I enjoy thoroughly enjoy. huge annual event for us. It I also take on a lot of the is our biggest opportunity to the physical and teaching, for people that promote ourselves and be mental benefits. join us with minimal rowing seen in the community. experience. The 3 Rivers Marathon is I love teaching people the skills of rowing, an event for all self-propelled water competitors. and I enjoy the physical and mental benefits. That includes Surf Skis, Kayaks, Paddle Boards Anyone can start rowing, from 12 yeas of age to and Canoes. 100, no experience necessary! It’s a great day to introduce ourselves to the Find us on Hibbard Drive or reach out to us on community, and to raise some funds to keep the Facebook to enquire about joining. club moving forward. All of the details on the How is the Port Macquarie Rowing Club event, and how to register, are on our website. going? Last of all, what is the best thing about the We have had a tough couple of years, the Port Macquarie Hastings Region? flooding and Covid hasn’t made it easy for Absolutely the community. For me, as an us. However, we have seen an increase in our outsider from Hungary, the community here is so membership and recently we have started welcoming and kind. And the surroundings, as a our school program up again, which is huge lover of everything outdoors, Port Macquarie is achievement for us. The school program has the best place to be.
