Gayle Dadswell is a well-known identity in the Ararat sporting community.
Gayle has a love of all sports and has participated in many different competitions over the years.
She is most well known for her 30 year association with basketball and 18 years with netball, of which she has played, coached and umpired.
Gayle was also handy with a racquet, enjoying games of tennis and squash, while as a junior she participated in volleyball, softball and swimming.
She and husband Greg now spend their weekends following sons Jared, Leigh and Scott in their sporting pursuits.
As a teacher, Gayle was strongly involved in school sports, but is now enjoying retirement by travelling, camping and tending to her garden.
Her skills in administration have seen her on many sporting committees, most recently the Alexandra Oval Committee of Management, which she is extremely passionate about.
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My perfect weekend would involve family, friends and good food - Anywhere.
If I could invite three people to dinner I would choose Simon Crean, Mark Arbib and Hugh Delahunty so that I could get in their ear about funding sport and recreational facilities in regional areas and Alexandra Oval in particular.
My fondest childhood memory is summer holidays camping with my parents and five siblings at Apollo Bay.
When I was younger I thought I would grow up to be a teacher and I did! I have spent 32 years working with young people in Ararat and hopefully was a positive influence on at least some of them.
My dream holiday destination is London, Paris, Rome - Anywhere in Europe really.
Three things I couldn't live without are my family, my friends and my sport.
I consider my greatest achievement in life to be raising three happy, healthy boys with Greg.
The most embarrassing item in my wardrobe is a kaftan that I wore in the 80s that had a lovely geometric pattern!
If I wanted to impress a dinner guest I would cook roast pork, followed by pavlova.
The greatest lesson I have learned in life is that you should never give up on people or the things you believe in. Hard work, determination and perseverance are important in everything you do.
If I wasn't me, I would like to be Roger Federer. I admire his skills, his sportsmanship and his demeanour. He has made a career from sport and gets to travel the world (not to mention his earnings!).
The song I most wish I had written is Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil. I remember this hit a few political nerves and made people think about giving land back to Aboriginal people.
Something not many people know about me is that I was a hockey player and thought netball was not worth the effort. I started netball at age 23 with Ararat and so began a long association with both the sport and the club.
Three things on my bucket list are to see appropriate modern facilities at Alexandra Oval, to travel the world and to win Tattslotto so that I can travel some more!
If I died tomorrow at least I could say I have lived a busy, fulfilling life.
If I could have one super power it would be to fly like Superman. This would sure beat those hours spent in a car travelling around the state for sporting events.
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