1931 - present

Lifelong Bondi resident Phil Coles has also had a long Olympic history, first as an athlete and later as an administrator. He competed at the 1960 Rome, 1964 Tokyo and 1968 Mexico City Games in the canoe (kayak) sprint.

In 2021, he returned to Tokyo, aged 90, for the 32nd Olympiad to commemorate his three teammates of 1964 who reached the Games final against the mighty European teams but have now all passed away.

Coles, who is among North Bondi Surf Club’s oldest members, began his Olympic journey at Bondi beach. It was his childhood playground then the place he honed his sporting skills.

"This club … I met some very, very competent and really tough lifesavers. They taught me … how to be a good lifesaver. Basically, [the club] was my life."

Coles won the 1956 Australian surf ski championships in Melbourne and was then invited to join the Olympic team in Rome 1960.

In Tokyo 1964 he captained the team - including Barry Stuart, Dennis Green and Dennis McGuire, all members of the rival Maroubra surf club - achieving their best result. While they didn't win a medal, they reached the final against the world’s best.

Coles’ other successes included winning 25 national canoe championships and five national surf lifesaving championships. He captained the first Australian surf lifeguard team to compete in California in 1965.

Between 1982-2011, Coles was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and became an honorary member in 2012. Helping Sydney win the 2000 Olympic Games was the highlight of his Olympic career, he said.

In 1999, Coles was one of several IOC members accused of receiving gifts and hospitality from Salt Lake City in its bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. His membership was suspended, but was restored in 2001. As a result of the controversy, the IOC changed its rules so members couldn't visit bid cities before a final vote.

Coles was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1983, was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1993 and received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.