Surf's up

Meet the Silver Salties, a club of age-defying beach buddies who are fun and fabulous, gutsy and resilient, and who change lives.

- LIZZIE WILSON

It’s a brisk autumn morning in the charming coastal town of Forster on the New South Wales mid-north coast, and a bunch of lively locals has gathered at the historic Bull Ring Ocean Baths. With the water temperature an icy 18 degrees and the sun barely poking above the clouds, not even a biting westerly is going to stop this mob from taking an early morning dip.

These are the glorious Silver Salties, an all-inclusive club of dedicated, sea-loving men and women. They’re members of Surf Life Saving Australia’s pioneering fitness and wellbeing program aimed specifically at the over-65s.

Stripped down to just their cossies, the pack of 20 or more Salties have donned their goggles and caps, and with plenty of bluster, are ready to plunge head-first into life. Their program leader is retired psychiatric nurse Janet Litwin and she’s busy getting the group sorted for a water aerobics class. A respected local in the Barrington Coast region, the mum of two and grandmother to four – with husband Wally, a long-time coal miner – is an active member of the Forster Surf Life Saving Club.

“I’ve been involved on and off for over 50 years – it’s in our blood. I remember when women couldn’t get a bronze medallion. Thankfully, times have changed,” Janet, 68, tells The Weekly. “We’ve always been beach lovers, and Wally and I, as volunteers, are often rostered together on patrol – it’s a real family affair. There’s nothing more gratifying than giving back to the community.”