Stawell Athletic Club has a new life member after Robert McIntosh was recognised for two decades of service to the club.
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The two-time club president said he was grateful for the recognition and humbled by the award.
"I was fairly honoured to get the award to be honest," he said.
"To receive something like that from a world known club and event, I was quite honoured."
Mr McIntosh, who first joined the club 20 years ago, said the best part of the club was having the opportunity to meet people from all over the country.
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"I would say the people we have met from it," he said,
"Going to all the events, in Victoria and some in South Australia, you see the runners every week and you get to know them and the people you meet across the journey is one of the main things.
"And that's it, they tell me you're here forever now."
The Stawell Athletic Club has also become a family affair for Mr McIntosh's with his son also joining the committee and his two daughters were also colour kids when they were younger.
"My son came on the committee about six years ago and having him on there was really special," he said.
"He has been president as well, after starting as a colour kid, so it has come through to be a great family tradition now.
"It's been a great 20 years."
He also said his wife had been incredibly supportive throughout his time working with the club.
When Mr McIntosh first joined the club, first worked in the scoreboard and completed chores around the ground, but has gone on to serve as president of the club twice and has worked as a race-starter for 15 years.
"I used to always work over at the carnival because my father was involved over there and I used to always go across the road and watch the running of the Gift itself," he said.
"When I was younger I was just interested in the running and I went along to some of the clubs' meetings a few times and I when I went one day their was a vacancy.
"I knew a few other people who were involved with the club, so I asked to join and that it was it.
"After four years, I was vice-president and then was president after that.
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Then one of the starters retired and the head-starter asked if I would like to do some starting, and now I have been a starter with the club for 15 years.
Normally, Mr McIntosh is very busy over the Stawell Gift weekend, as he starts around a dozen races and supports the starting of some others.
However, after the Gift was cancelled in 2020, Mr McIntosh is hoping the event will run smoothly in 2021.
"It was a bit strange really, we did Bendigo on the long weekend in March and then everything after that got cancelled," he said.
"So to be sitting at home, and not really having anything to do made it all a bit strange really.
"Right now we are planning full steam ahead and seeing what happens.
"At the moment we are going ahead as a normal year and hopefully we can get things happening."
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