A recent guest speaker at the Kāpiti Rotary Club, was Raumati Beach resident John McBeth, a well-known New Zealand sports broadcaster over the last four decades.
Mr McBeth continues to travel the world for a variety of contracted sports assignments, and has no intention of surrendering the microphone just yet.
The audience was entertained by an extraordinary variety of anecdotal memories that Mr McBeth relayed to the Rotarians and visitors. He was most interesting and informative, and provided at first-hand a ‘behind the scenes’ commentary on some of the most spectacular international events that he has attended. His particular focus was on the Olympic Games that he has broadcast on seven occasions. One highlight relating to the Olympics, was at Athens, where he called 250 swimming races; 1150 dives; and 20 synchronised swimming events.
Other memories relate to his first Rugby World Cup in 1987; the Americas Cup in San Diego, and three subsequent Americas Cups in Auckland and Valencia.
In conclusion, John McBeth acknowledged the other sports broadcasters that he has been privileged to work with, and the people that provided the opportunity for him to enter the arena of live broadcasting for a wide range of local and international sporting events, in so many countries.
The enthusiastic audience responded with questions and then long applause.
