This Well-Being Australia ministry provides the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) athletes timeout and is one of two such facilities. The other (Basil Sellers Tweed) on the far north coast of New South Wales caters for the six AIS sport units in SE Queensland along with the Cricket fraternity.
|PIC1|Well-Being Australia chairman Mark Tronson, a Baptist minister of 32 years, says that the philosophy of the respite ministry is based on a recognition that the physical demands and emotional pressures of elite sports training make it imperative that athletes and coaches program scheduled 'time-out' sessions in order to recharge their own batteries.
"This is for the benefit of themselves, their profession and their families. This is as much a 'duty of care' as are issues of insurances and safety. Pastoral care, as an integral part of the respite we provide, has proved to be an added benefit," M V Tronson explained.
Mark and Delma Tronson spent fourteen years in Moruya ministering at Basil Sellers House, before relocating and replicating the respite ministry to Basil Sellers Tweed in 2006.
The Well-Being Australia Moruya team co-ordinated by Kim Gillis and his wife Michelle sees either Vic Matthews or Matt Boyes meet pastorally with visiting AIS squads on their respite visits.
"Vic Matthews met with the AIS women basketballers on their recent visit and Matt Boyes was with the AIS men's basketball squad this past week," M V Tronson said.
"Matt Boyes addressed these young elite athletes on integrity, so as to allow your character and your word to be true. Let you Yes be Yes and your No be No."
Basil Sellers House in Moruya is currently under going a major refurbishment program having received a $50,000 boost from Mr Basil Sellers last year.
"Another Well-Being Australia Moruya project in the stages of development with the help of the Eurobodalla Shire Council is the relocation of the Basil Sellers Art Centre on the other side of the 10 acre allotment to Basil Sellers House," M V Tronson noted.
Basil Sellers, Kim Gillis and Mark Tronson met with the Eurobodalla Shire's Mayor Fergus Thomson and CEO Paul Anderson in October last year at the awarding of the Basil Sellers $10,000 Art Prize.
Mr Sellers explained that his wish is to see each of the Basil Sellers Art Prize accusatory art work winners housed in the relocated Basil Sellers Art Centre,. This would provide a public exhibition facility for the Art winners.
The Basil Sellers Art Centre will have multiple purposes, one of which will be a seminar facility for visiting AIS sporting squads.