Susila Palihawadana, an unsung mentor of athletes in track and field, basketball, gymnastics and netball was held in high esteem and given an honour fit for a queen by past students of Good Shepherd Convent Kotahena at a grand function held at the Pegasus Reef Hotel in Hendala, Wattla last month that also coincided with her 75 birthday.
Susila hailed from Galle and was a student of Sacred Heart Convent Galle who excelled in the high jump event in athletics and other sports and became the best athlete in the under-12 category at the Southern Province Inter-Schools athletic meet by establishing a new meet record.
Susila will not hesitate a second to acknowledge that what she became as an athlete and later as a mentor and model for aspiring athletes was due to the encouragement and guidance given to her by the school’s principal the late Rev. Sister Adrin and the physical training instructress the late Nancy de Silva.
Susila was no ordinary athlete and joined the Ceylonese Track and Field Club (CT&FC) while still at school and took part in many tours excelling in her pet event the high jump. She also captained the CT&FC for two years that showed what a remarkable personality she was.
Susila is the former Sri Lanka record holder in the high jump event in 1971 at the Dasara Stat Sports Games held in Mysore, India and was appointed the captain of the Sri Lanka women’s athletic team.
She was a member of the Ramblers Basketball team that won the P. Saravanamuttu Challenge Shield and her undying perseverance and prowess made her an official timekeeper and judge at the SAF Games held in 2001 and 2006 and at the Asian Athletic Championship meet held in 2002 conducted by the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka at that time.
Susila’s illustrious exploits took her to Good Shepherd Convent Kotahena where she worked as its Physical Training Instructress and served the school for a period of 33 years that gave her a kind of legendary status hard to match.
She trained students to reach National and International Standards in track and field, basketball, gymnastics and netball with the assistance of qualified coaches.
She also served as a netball umpire and the school’s basketball team won the National School Games for seven consecutive years.
Susila was married to a famous radio personality, the late Bevil Palihawadana who also graduated to a TV presenter.
(The writer is a specialist English trained teacher with a Diploma in Montessori Education and Child Psychology)
