Mount Gambier Volunteer Tyne Milstead Says The Pioneers Have Given Her Friendship, Confidence And A Place To Belong
If you’ve ever been to a Mount Gambier Pioneers home game, chances are you’ve seen Tyne Milstead.
Whether she’s selling raffle tickets, chatting with players, or handing out customised lolly bags at training, Tyne has become one of the most recognisable and beloved faces around the club.
But for Tyne, volunteering with the Pioneers is about much more than basketball.
“It’s everything, it’s family. It’s not just a club for me, it really is family,” she says.
The 38-year-old grew up around the sport, with her father volunteering as a basketball statistician for more than 40 years. What began as a shared love of basketball with her dad eventually became a place where she felt accepted and valued.
“I’ve been coming since I was a kid. It was just something that I could do with Dad, as I couldn’t really do a lot of other stuff,” she said.
“Having a disability, you’re limited in what you can do. Growing up on the farm, I wasn’t able to do a lot of the farm work. So it was just something that we were able to do together.”
Tyne was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and says the first years of her life involved regular flights to Adelaide with the Royal Flying Doctor Service for surgeries and medical treatment.
“I was having operations within the first 48 hours of my life,” she said. “They had to close my back because I had a hole in my spine. I had to have shunts put in within the first few days of my life for the hydrocephalus.”
Breaking Assumptions About Disability
When Tyne first began volunteering with the Pioneers, she was still able to walk short distances, but since 2022 she has used a wheelchair full-time outside the house. She says one of the biggest misconceptions people have about disability is assuming people cannot advocate for themselves.
“We know how to ask for help. Don’t just assume that because we have a disability that we don’t know how to do things for ourselves, or that we don’t know how to ask for help,” she said.
“That’s been one of the biggest challenges, people just assuming that because I have a disability that they have to help without actually asking first.”
Over the years, volunteering has opened doors to friendships and experiences Tyne never expected.
Known by many as the Pioneers’ “number one fan”, she rarely misses a training session or home game. and has met some of the biggest names in Australian basketball along the way.
“I’ve had the chance to meet people that I would never have met if I hadn’t got involved,” she said.
“A lot of the people I’ve met and friendships I’ve made are because of basketball. I would never have met Andrew Gaze or Mitch Creek, people that are really big in the sport.”
The Pioneers’ Lolly Lady
Being, as she describes it, “part of the furniture” at the club has also seen Tyne develop close friendships with Pioneers players. She has even earned the nickname “Lolly Lady” thanks to the customised lolly bags she prepares for players at training each week.
Tyne spends time sorting and personalising each bag to make sure every player gets exactly what they like.
“Titus Robinson for example, he only gets two types in his bag and that’s bananas and gummy clusters,” she said.
This year’s National Volunteer Week theme, “Your Year to Volunteer”, encourages people to get involved in their communities and take that first step into volunteering. Asked what advice she would give to someone considering volunteering, Tyne’s answer was simple.
“Honestly, just do it.”
“Put yourself out there, get yourself out of your comfort zone. When I first started volunteering I was just handing out the programs, then it progressed to selling raffle tickets, then for a little while it was merchandise.
“So depending on what you want to do or what you’re confident in doing, just put yourself out there.”
A Place To Be Herself
As her role at the club grew, Tyne says being trusted with more responsibility made her feel genuinely included and valued.
“I’ve been trusted with selling raffle tickets, that’s working with money. Especially for someone with a disability, that’s a big thing, to know that you’re actually trusted to do that and not have someone checking on you every five minutes to see how it’s going.”
For Tyne, volunteering has become much more than simply helping out at basketball games. It has given her confidence, friendships, and a place where she feels completely accepted.
“Honestly, it’s my favourite four days a week,” she said.
“Since I unfortunately had to give up work, I was starting to get a bit down. But then the basketball season comes back around. I’ve still got something to look forward to instead of just being stuck at home miserable.”
As Tyne spoke about what the club has given her, the depth of that connection became clear.
“I found a place where I can be myself and I don’t have to be apologetic for that.”
“It’s the place where I don’t have to put on an act, I can literally just be myself, and either people are going to love you or they’re going to hate you, but everyone here seems to just love me.”
Through the Pioneers, Tyne found far more than a volunteer role. She found friendship, confidence, purpose, and a place where she could truly be herself – a second family she now can’t imagine life without.
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