It has been an honour to serve as President of the St Kilda Cycling Club for the past 3 years. I will be forever indebted to the club for the opportunities it has given me and the lifelong friendships I have forged whilst involved with the Club.

All clubs and organizations need to evolve and grow and SKCC is no different. Now is the time for me to move on so that a new fresh & enthusiastic team can come through and make their own mark.

Today SKCC is in a fantastic position. Three years ago I inherited a defunct team without direction with a terrible balance sheet. We have turned that around to three consecutive years of profit. While other clubs have lost members, SKCC has continued to grow organically. The Shimano SuperCrit has continued to flourish and this year will be no exception with a bigger and expanded event planned. SKCC has continued to win countless awards and our members have had some incredible successes. The mantra of SKCC has always been to do things different and push the envelope.

I am extremely proud of the people that have served on the committee during my time as President. We have had some incredibly passionate and talented individuals donate their valuable time to make SKCC the best club it can be. SKCC is a club of lifters not leaners and that’s why the Club is able to do all the great things it does. Also SKCC has had some of the best sponsors / supporters in the business and their loyal unwavering support have helped the Club continue to lead the way. Above all SKCC continues to have great culture. It’s a friendly, diverse and inclusive club.

The club is not without its challenges. It’s a continuous fight to raise sponsorship dollars and the club cannot function on membership fees alone. Of the large membership fee we pay each year SKCC only receives a small portion as the rest goes to Cycling Australia.

The Crit Course is getting swallowed up by property development but rest assured we are very fortunate that former President Melinda Jacobson has been working on an alternative circuit for over 8 years. Mel has met with every department, body, councillor, politician, Minister & stakeholder. There will be some big news on this in due course.

I would like to thank the members for the support they have given me throughout the journey. In particular, my partner Alison McCormack who even came on as Treasurer to help out in the first year and delivered the start of the great financial turnaround. Ali has been a great leveller for me and has helped me immensely. Also Gaelene Snelling who I’m convinced has the SKCC shield embossed on her heart. Gaelene does so much that goes unnoticed. A special mention also goes to Reese Masita who after being on the committee for 5 years and giving her heart and soul to the club is standing down.

I am really excited about the future of the club and would like to congratulate and wish new President Evan “Rockit” Rolton and the new team he is building all the very best. The club is in good hands. I encourage anyone considering coming on the committee to roll their sleeves up and have a go. If I can do it anyone can do it. All you need is enthusiasm and passion.

I’ll see you somewhere on Beach Road or behind a microphone

Lee “Hollywood” Turner