1989 - present

Simoene joined Bondi Nippers at 12 years old. In 1988/89 season she joined the U18 5-person Reel & Resuscitation team coached by John La Forest who had a reputation as a hard taskmaster and medal winner. The team trained hard, competing at both Junior and Open level - dominating in the lead up to Aussies. In R&R competition every member had to be competent in every position on the team. Simoene felt pressure to match the boys, determined as reelsman to be first to get her patient back to the beach. Competing for Bondi taught Simoene about mental toughness. During the 2019 bushfires Simoene and her family had to evacuate their home; the only things she took were her three Aussies gold medals.

She was the team’s reserve in 88/89 and it was only because one of the boys got sick on the flight to the Gold Coast that she competed. “At the time I was the only girl competing in the Club and it was a 'boy’s club' and we had to break that mould". “There wasn’t pressure to be the first woman to win gold but there was pressure to win as a team. My biggest achievement was getting my photo in the Bondi Surf Club 'Hall of Champions'. A great honour".

Following her first gold, Simoene jumped at the chance to compete again. “I wanted the honour as a full member of the squad and I wanted to prove it wasn’t a fluke.” The 1989/90 Annual Report noted that the Club had won the gold medal in the U18 5-person R&R event at Aussies for seven consecutive years: “This is the best performance by any competitor or team from any club or State since the beginning of surf lifesaving 80 odd years ago. This record is not likely to be beaten.” The following year, Simoene managed to better that record making it eight consecutive Australian titles.

Simeone stayed with the Club for many years, serving as a Vice Captain Lifesaving, Patrol Vice Captain, Patrol Captain, achieving Long Service, coaching junior R&R teams, competing in women’s R&R competition and in mixed teams. Simoene's two children, Kane and Jesse, followed her in the club as Bondi Nippers. Here they won numerous awards with Kane winning the trophy named after her mother, Beverley Smith - Life member of Bondi Nippers. 

Courtesy Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club.