BOB Meyer-Gleaves started as an apprentice blacksmith at Gaukrogers back when cobblestone was the preferred choice of road grade and yet for most of his life would be a refrigeration air conditioning engineer.
Despite his working achievements and business acumen Bob is more forthcoming about his personal passions and aspirations.
He got his surf lifesaving bronze at Avalon beach in his hey day before lifesaving at Muraiwai in West Auckland for 23 years.
He has always had an affinity with swimming, the outdoors and adventure.
He was a foundation member of the Redcliffe Surf Lifesaving Club and more recently was a timekeeper at the World Masters Games in Sydney after an operation on an arthritic toe kept him out of competition.
“Aside from lifesaving and time-keeping I am also a competitive swimmer,” he said.
“I bagged eight gold medals at the Lismore Masters Games a few years ago and have won medals at state and national level for a variety of disciplines including breaststroke, freestyle and butterfly.”
Bob and colleague Joy Cutler competed at the FINA 2008 Swimming titles in Perth and Bob has plans to compete at the next Masters Games, health permitting.
“I love the water, always have and I hope to compete at the next games in four years,” he said.
“The Masters Games are a great event and their motto is ‘fun, friendship and fitness’,” said Bob.
Colleagues in Caboolture originally introduced Bob to the Masters Games concept, where he was apart of the Caboolture Crays.
It has been an affection of his ever since.
“But it’s not my only passion,” he said.
“My other motivation is fossicking and Inverell caters for all sorts and that’s why I retired here,” said Bob.
“My wife and I often go to Lightning Ridge for fossicking and we have met some fantastic people and had some great experiences.
“I remember once I was on the way to the Ridge and saw an average looking bloke on the side of the road in a bad way and I stopped to offer him a lift.
“He stuttered at first but then accepted and asked me to drop him off in the middle of the desert near an old tin shed.
“When he opened the shed door he had a Ferrari in it!”
Yet despite his quirky experience on the road Bob still calls Inverell home and says that if he wasn’t fossicking and swimming he would be ‘just an old man chewing the fat’ on his family veranda.
“I have currently been president of the RSL Swimming Club for four years and that also keeps me busy. We meet every Sunday and swim and then undo all our good work by having tea and biscuits,” he laughed.
“And we are always on the look out for members,” he added.
Before the end of the year Bob and his club – the Australian Imperial Forces as he refers to them in jest are staging a regional swimming meet in Inverell for swimmers of his ilk from all over the district.
He is hopeful of entrants from Moree, Goondiwindi and other hubs of the area.
“It should be good and we are excited about the event,” he said.
“And I might finally have a chance to win something,” he laughed.
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