South Canberra Tuggeranong Athletics Club Tribute
Reproduced with permission from South Canberra Tuggeranong Athletics
South Canberra Tuggeranong is sad to announce that club stalwart and Life Member, Mike Sexton, passed away on Sunday 25 October at the age of 68 after a multi-year battle with multiple myeloma – a blood cancer. Officially, Mike was Treasurer at SCT for the best part of two decades – and for much of that time he carried the Secretary’s duties as well. In practice, he was a backbone of the club who picked up any tasks that needed doing cheerfully and would always pitch in without ever wanting to be thanked. He invariably had a smile and a cheerful anecdote. His commitment extended beyond official club duties, including tutoring or helping out athletes through schooling or other commitments.
His most enduring legacy will be his commitment to the Fadden Pines Cross Country Series that we run as a club. Mike was always there to set out the course, cheered on all the kids, organised the special pizza or bbq days and painstakingly organised certificates for all the children at the end of the season. While he kept an eye out on the talented kids, he was always most impressed by those who came along, persevered and kept turning up. The club instituted a perpetual Mike Sexton Trophy for the active participation this year in his honour.
A typical example of Mike’s character is that, when the club wanted to award Mike with Life Membership in 2017, the Committee was obliged to make the decision at a meeting that Mike couldn’t attend. He would have vetoed any decision and possibly refused to accept it.
Around the club, his favourite story about his time on the committee was to recount his thoughts on receiving a letter from a young javelin thrower who had ambitions to make the Commonwealth Games team. He would recount how he thought Kelsey-Lee Roberts was dreaming and how happy he was to have been wrong. We wouldn’t have had a World Champion in the club without Mike.
Mike is survived by his wife Lorraine, four children and five grand-children. He will be greatly missed around the club but his cheerful commitment to getting everything done behind the scenes will remain an inspiration to us all.
His funeral is at 10am on Wednesday 4 November. Please contact the club if you would like further details.