Snowboarder Torah Bright is larger than life and a grassroots movement is afoot to see she is immortalised that way with a fitting monument in Cooma. Torah, 23, hails from Cooma and last week won Australia’s fourth ever gold medal at a Winter Olympic Games.
Perisher Resort plans to rename their main snowboarding area “Torah’s Superpipe” and in Torah’s home town, people are calling for something similar.
Cooma-Monaro Shire Council (CMSC) general manager John Vucic said he had invited Torah and her brother Ben to a civic reception in Cooma and hoped it would be held this side of Torah’s June 4 nuptials.
Mr Vucic said CMSC intended to invite the full gamut of elected officials: nine councillors, one state member, one federal member, one premier and the Prime Minister. These 13 politicians and their entourages may attract attention, but nothing could eclipse welcoming the radiant Torah Bright home.
“Once we have a date from Torah’s management we will arrange protocols with the Prime Minister, Premier, and state and local members,” Mr Vucic said.
“The date is nebulous at this stage but once we know, we have about five options we’re working on depending on how long Torah can stay in the area. We believe she will only be here for one day,” he said.
Mr Vucic said the event would celebrate all 2010 Winter Olympians from this area. He said there were no plans for a plaque or other public monuments at this stage but Torah’s name would be added to the sporting hall of fame in council chambers.
National Party branch chair Bronnie Taylor was in Sydney when Torah won gold and expected to see signs of celebration when she returned to Cooma. Mrs Taylor was surprised to find business as usual on Sharp Street and no word of plans to party.
Mrs Taylor this week publicly called on council to “enshrine” Torah’s gold medal with a monument. She said Cooma urgently needed someone to lead community Olympic celebrations.
Mrs Taylor said she would welcome a civic reception but celebrations should be all about Torah and not lose their local focus to dignitaries, formalities, or the passing of too much time.
“Torah is a Cooma girl who has worked so hard for her dream and she’s achieved it. We may never have met her but we feel like we know her and she makes us feel so proud to be from our area,” Mrs Taylor said.
Rhythm Snow Sports principal Mick Klima said a civic monument to Snowy-Monaro Winter Olympians was a great idea and this week he took matters into his own hands. Mr Klima commissioned a large Torah Bright banner for his shop window and plans to do the same for other local 2010 Winter Olympians.
“We sponsored Torah at a very early age and she always gave back, sending us business. She had her own cards and our brochures and walked up and down the ski tube train handing them out,” Mr Klima said.
“I was super impressed for a young person to do that, especially off her own bat. I’ve kept an eye on how she’s been going; she’s a phenomenal snowboarder and such a nice person, which makes it even better,” he said.
Mr Klima said any civic monument should have spaced reserved on it for the names future Winter Olympians.
“I was thinking a bronze statue of Torah and call it the Olympic Town Monument or something, with a plaque to add the names of future Olympians from this area,” Mr Klima said.
“Make it a huge one, there will be more names to come. I also think we should have a billboard as you enter Cooma, with: Welcome to Cooma, Town of the Winter Olympics,” he said.
Bronnie Taylor agrees celebrating Torah is part of something greater than one gold medal.
“Winter 2010 is a huge opportunity for Cooma; people want to stop here because it’s the town Torah’s from. And particularly in winter, Cooma offers so much we can build on and celebrate,” Mrs Taylor said.
If others agree, there is work to be done. And in this part of the world, winter is very nearly upon us.
Email a friend