RWC AGENT ’ S PAST LIFE AS

A SOCCEROOS STAR

RWC Greater Sydney South agent Charlie Yankos OAM ( pictured above ) has achieved something many people don ’ t dare to dream of - he was an Olympic athlete .

Charlie was a defender for the Socceroos between 1984 and 1990 , and was talented enough to go to the 1988 Seoul Olympics , where the Socceroos made the quarter-finals .

He started his football career at 15 playing for Melbourne ’ s Heidelberg United , before going on to play 49 games for Australia .

He said there were many highlights to his career , with a major one being his Olympic tour .

“ I had many memorable moments throughout my football career ,” Charlie said .

Charlie ’ s real estate career actually began while he was playing for the Socceroos , meaning he has worked in the industry for almost 40 years . “ We were semi-professional so I worked for Westfield , starting my real estate career in 1987 ,” he said .

“ So I have been involved in the commercial property sector for a long time .”

He identifies competition , leadership and success as key connections between the sporting and business arenas .

“ There are a lot of parallels between the real estate industry and sport at an elite level ,” Charlie said .

“ It ’ s fiercely competitive and the rewards for high achievement are great .”

LITTLE ATHLETE STEPS UP AS OLYMPIC TORCH BEARER

“ The morning of June 27 , 2000 , I was getting off the school bus when my friends were standing at the gate of the school yelling at me . My dad pulled up in the car told me to get in as I was going to carry the Olympic torch ,” Emma said .

“ As we were in the city and I had to get to Palm Cove it was going to be a challenge as the Torch Relay was almost at Smithfield and the main roads were already blocked so we had to do some off-roading to get to Palm Cove in time .

“ Once I arrived , I was given my uniform to change into . I had a police escort , torch relay aid due to my age , and my dad with me while waiting for the flame to come . The rest of my family was on the beach waiting .

“ Once it arrived , I was so nervous that I couldn ' t get the flame to light and the policeman had to assist . Once I got it lit I ran my 550m with lots of concentration as there was a news crew on a bike riding in front filming everything , so I didn ' t want to mess up .

“ It was a surreal experience and one I will never forget .”

REGIONAL AGENT RAISED BY AN OLYMPIAN

Sam is the son of four time Olympian Ray Borner OAM who was a centre for the Boomers at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles , 1988 Olympics in Seoul , 1992 Olympics in Barcelona , and 1996 Olympics in Atlanta .

Two days after Sam was born , he said his dad had to leave to go to the Seoul Olympics .

“ Having an Olympian for a parent was quite a normal thing for us growing up , we knew no different really ,” Sam said .

“ We were dragged around to a lot of basketball games , which we all really enjoyed . This was just our normal life .”

Sam said he was lucky enough to watch his dad play at an Olympics when he was eight years old .

“ We travelled to watch him in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics , and got to watch all the games he played ,” he said .

“ This was an amazing experience and I still hold these memories as fond memories .

“ As an adult now , I now understand that it is very uncommon for children to watch their parents compete at the Olympics and be old enough at the time to remember it .”

“ Highlights included reaching the quarter-finals . at the Olympics , having the honour of being the captain of the team , and scoring against Argentina in our 4:1 victory during the 1988 Bicentennial Gold Cup tournament .

The 1988 Gold Cup goal is something Charlie is most famous for , scoring a remarkable long-range goal from 30 yards against Argentina , who were the world champions at the time .

A Little Athletics star since the age of four , Ray White Special Projects administrator Emma Harris ( pictured above ) dreamed of carrying the Olympic torch when the Olympics came to Sydney in 2000 .

At 11 and a half years old , Emma thought her dreams had been dashed after she was told she was six months too young to carry the Olympic torch , but , as fate would have it , someone dropped out on the day , and Emma was called to action .

Growing up with an Olympian for a dad is not an experience many of us have , but for Ray White Ballarat business owner Sam Borner ( pictured above ) it was just the way things were .

Sam also played basketball growing up , but not to the same level his father did , representing the Ballarat Miners in the SEABL .

“ Dad actually came and worked with me as a residential and commercial sales person at Ray White back in 2011 for a few years before starting his own business , a wellness centre , which he is still running ,” Sam said .