Chrissy Pavlov Awarded Life Membership
Life Membership is an honour bestowed on individual club members whose exceptional, loyal and outstanding service and contribution has provided a measurable benefit to a club over an extended period of time.
Life Memberships don’t come around often and certainly not easily; it takes a special someone to devote so much of their time and energy into one club or society and our very own State Selector and Queensland Open Ladies State Manager Christina (Chrissy) Pavlov fits that bill without any hesitation.
Broadbeach Bowls Club is lucky to have Chrissy Pavlov etched into their honour roll after her recent appointment as a Life Member was sprung on her at their recent AGM. Remarkably, it was kept a surprise from someone who spends so much time at the club!
Chrissy joined the Broadbeach Bowls Club in 2004 and quickly became a Ladies Committee Member, a position she has held for 17 years. In 2014, Chrissy was voted onto the board and soon after was named the Director for Ladies Bowls.
Chrissy has juggled her commitment to the club’s administration whilst also playing at a high level. Christina is a multiple club, district, State and Australian Champion and a capped Queensland Representative in both the Open and Senior teams.
Whilst some say she stepped away from representative bowls too early, she moved into a State Team Manager role and later State Selector, paving the way for future stars of our game to be given the opportunity to wear the maroon kookaburra. A selfless act. Chrissy also finds time to devote to Bowls Queensland, serving as a member of the coaching committee from 2015-2017 and selection committee for the past five years. Despite having more than 20 years of bowls under her belt, Chrissy says she still has a strong love for the sport because of the camaraderie and tactical elements of it.
“I love bowls because it is such a challenging sport and it’s not as easy as it may look to some people,” Chrissy said. “I think because it’s challenging and the fact that it’s a very skilful sport with strategic aspects, it keeps drawing me back to it.”
Chrissy still regards herself as a bowler first and foremost and has an impressive list of accolades to back up her assertion, her proudest achievements to date have been playing for QLD, winning the 2011 Australian Super Six pairs with Lynsey Clarke and winning the 2013 Australian Open Over 60 pairs with Sue McKenzie. It is Chrissy’s love for the sport that helps fuel her work on the selection committee.
The Broadbeach Grade 1 ladies have won 6 out of 7 District Pennant Flags with Chrissy part of those teams as a player and manager over the years. Chrissy has shaped a thriving culture for women’s bowls at Broadbeach, creating an inclusive environment, one where all are accommodating of each other and constantly attracts new bowlers to the club.
We thank all the Chrissy’s of the bowls community for their efforts in keeping our game great.
Contributed by Kelsey Cottrell