Steve Larrescy’s contribution to local cricket was recognised by Queensland Cricket when he was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award for SEQ Region.
The Larrescy family were involved with the initial development of Everdell Park and Steve himself has volunteered his time to look after the grounds for the past 30 years.
Beaudesert Cricket President, Leigh Morgan, said Steve’s commitment to the Club has been outstanding.
“It’s been absolutely huge, nobody gives up that amount of time for that number of years, let alone getting an illness like he’s had – as soon as he could walk again he was back mowing,” she said.
Steve has continued the work that he started with his parents Cecil and Patricia (who have since passed away) and the late Ray Antcliff.
On Sunday 18 October 2020, Steve woke up with numbness and tingling in his legs. He rolled over and went back to sleep but his thigh was still numb when he woke up the next morning.
On Tuesday morning he made an appointment to see the doctor at 2pm.
“I went into town and did some things, then came home to have morning tea,” says Steve.
At 11.30am he managed to have a shower but two hours later he couldn’t get up out of his chair.
His wife Lynne came home and they called the ambulance.
“It took two ambulance bearers to get me up and off to the hospital.”
Steve spent the next 13 weeks in hospital.
He was initially treated for Gillian-Barr disease but after some time doctors diagnosed him as having had a spinal stroke.
According to Steve, the fibres that carry the signals back to his brain have died above where the stroke was, affecting his mobility and balance.
There have been slow improvements in his condition over the last two years.
Prior to the stroke, he was a talented wicket keeper, playing over 60s cricket in Brisbane and club cricket in Beaudesert on Saturdays.
Today he is able to walk with the assistance of crutches and he still spends up to 16 hours each week looking after Everdell and Selwyn Park.
“It has handicapped me but I still get on,” said Steve.
“There’s a tractor I can drive and a ride on mower – I just stay on there.”
Leigh describes Steve as an unsung hero and said the thousands of hours he has contributed to the Club is invaluable.
Steve and his family are part of Beaudesert Cricket Club’s history.
In 2016, two of the cricket ovals at Everdell Park were named the Larrescy Ovals in recognition of the contribution of Steve and his parents.
Steve’s award was presented to him by Adam Paroz, Queensland Cricket’s Cricket Manager SEQ at Everdell Park.
His nomination puts him in the running for the Queensland Cricket Volunteer of the Year award which will be announced at the Queensland Cricket Awards in late April.
