Order of Australia

Henk Vogels Senior – For outstanding service to the Australian cycling community

Henk Vogels was born in Haarlem, Holland in 1942

The eldest of eight children he immigrated with his parents to Western Australia in 1955 and became and Australian citizen in 1960

In 1957 as a talented cyclist he began racing at 15 years of age for the Perth metropolitan Southern Districts Cycle Club – a club in which he still serves as a Committee member!

In the period 1962-1964 he won many State titles and a national Australian Pursuit title. In 1964 he represented Australia at the Tokyo Olympic Games placing fourth in the four man pursuit team and spent the next five years racing as an elite professional cyclist in Europe

This award however is not for his personal racing achievements

Rather it is intended to recognize the significant contribution Henk Vogels has made to the cycling community in an administrative and organisational capacity over the last 35 years and most recently the role he has played in establishing a charitable foundation to support the racing aspirations of disadvantaged youths in Western Australia – The Henk Vogels Foundation

Henk Vogels dedication, his humility, his endless hours of volunteer participation – at all levels of the sport - as well as his ability to inspire riders of all levels and ages into this recreational and sporting activity has earned him the admiration and respect of cyclists, administrators, business people and the general community on a state, national and international basis.

In addition to an already demanding work, family and cycling administration life in 1983 Henk was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disorder Systemic Lupus Erythamatosus (SLE) which involves periods of paralysis, occasional hospitalisation for inflammation around the heart and constant medication. This disorder has to be battled daily - both in his job as a plumber and while working and travelling all the extra hours for cycling and the community.
The fact that he has dedicated so much time to the benefit and well being of others – selflessly and without any monetary interest or search for accolade whilst being in extremely ill health - is simply remarkable.

Henk is a person whose had managed to make a difference in his life. From Dutch immigrant to Australian sporting hero to stalwart of the community he has been a contributor. Foregoing wealth, fame or adulation and with ill health he has preserved simply from a sense of generosity to the cycling public.

The number of individual elite, recreational and disadvantaged riders and administrators that have benefited from his wisdom or his personal mentoring or support is innumerable. No one can remember a time when Henk has not been available or involved.

As such he has become a highly respected and endeared member of the Western Australian and Australian cycling community and he is deserving on the appropriate recognition this Honour will provide

Some of Henks activities:

Henk joined the Southern Districts Cycling Club in 1960 and is a life member. He served several terms as club President and has been on the Executive for 25 years, Club Coach for 15 years and has trained riders from Schoolboy status to Australian and Olympic levels
Henk is a Board Commissioner and Life Member of the Western Australian Cycling Federation and over a 20 year period acted as State Coach, Team Manager, Selector and Commissare.

He has organised numerous events and was largely responsible for creating significant new interest in cycling within the community through a Summer Cycling Series by bring international level riders to the State.

Henk has also been responsible for arranging foreign exchanges with cyclists from Holland

Henk was a National Cycling Selector and Team manager for World Championships and Olympic Games Henk was Manager of International Teams for the Commonwealth bank Cycling Classic

Henk was on the Organising Committee for the 1993 Junior and 1997 Senior World Titles held in Australia

Henk has been qualified and participated at the highest National Coaching and Commissare levels

In 2002 Henk established the Henk Vogels Foundation which is now closely tied with another charity foundation, the Amy Gillett foundation, whose aims are to look after the wellbeing of the community in regards to road safety for cyclists