Chairman of Well-Being Australia Mark Tronson says it has been his privilege to have been a receiptent of wisdom from numerous such people leading up to and during his 18 years of founding the Sports and Leisure Ministry, 17 years as the Australian cricket team chaplain, and 29 years in faith financed mission.
One of these people was Jeanine Treharne.
Jeanine Treharne is an international and national yachtswoman champion, raised in a yachting family (nee Wilmot).
When Hugh Treharne and Jeanine Wilmot married in 1978 it was the yachting wedding of the year. Hugh is a yachting world champion, a veteran of 28 Sydney to Hobart races, Admirals Cup and Tactician on Australia II that won the America's Cup in 1983.
To defend the America's Cup the Treharnes moved from Sydney to Perth in 1985 where Jeanine completed 2 years full-time bible school . She developed a wonderful friendship with Christians Margaret Court (now Reverend Dr) and Betty Cuthbert, which extended to ministry.
Mark Tronson continues the story - In 1984 when I was appointed the Australian Cricket Team chaplain the Sydney Morning Herald ran a major feature article. Jeanine Treharne saw the article and contacted me.
Jeanine was excited that a Christian Ministry to elite athletes had been initiated as she had seen God's invention with our America's Cup win. We immediately struck up a bond of friendship in Christ, which continues to this day.
In 1985 when visiting Perth (meeting with WA Heads of Churches) Jeanine introduced me to Margaret Court, the Grand Slam Women's Tennis champion. My first meeting with Margaret Court was with Jeanine Treharne and Betty Cuthbert (where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name) and this blossomed into a framework for an athlete ministry philosophy that was proven time and again.
I regularly visited Perth with the Australian cricket team, and occasionally hosted by Hugh and Jeanine in their home. During these visits I'd meet with Margaret Court who reviewed the direction of the athlete ministry, and povided a spiritual review of my ministry with the cricketers. One one occasion, Betty lent me her car to get around (Betty Cuthbert has been ill with MS over many years).
In 1988 Hugh & Jeanine and their family moved back to Sydney. Jeanine helped initiate the Outreach Sailing Club for young people in need, continued her yachting ministry and was busily involved with ministry and prayer in her local church.
Jeanine's sports evangelism was renown, she was working in the media and Hugh and Jeanine raised another generation of champions. This family has honoured the Lord even with the trauma of young Sam's terrible facial burns incident in 1995.
In 1992 Jeanine Treharne with Nick-Farr Jones officially opened 'Basil Sellers House' the athlete respite facility in Moruya, south coast of NSW.
Jeanine Treharne continues to be a confidante in my various ministries. She has a passion to see righteousness ruling in her beloved Australia through intercession and support for Christian politicians and the ACL.
In 2009 I interviewed Jeanine Treharne for the 'Australian Missionary News IPTV' and that video interview is available on You Tube at www.youtube.com/user/marktronson
