Three years after fatal shark attack, community cements teacher's legacy

A new community sporting facility will be built in Elliston after Bucky's Beach Relay raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in honour of a teacher who was killed in a shark attack in 2023. The relay stretched from Adelaide to Elliston spanning 720 kilometres, raising more than $400,000. What's next? Friends and family of Simon 'Bucky' Baccanello say the facility will be his legacy. It's a cold, wet morning when runners hit the pavement bound for Elliston from Adelaide. A gruelling, 720-kilometre slog lies ahead of them, but hearts are full when the 35-strong team of Bucky's Beach Relay take off on Tuesday. Simon 'Bucky' Baccanello died in a shark attack in the surf at Walkers Rocks off Elliston, but today his legacy has moved beyond that thanks to a community who loved him. And rather than let his memory fade with time, friends and family have rallied to raise funds to cement his legacy through a new community sporting facility in Elliston. "I feel like he's with me all the time in lots of different ways," Simon's brother, Paul Baccanello said. "When we have a big group here together, which is what Simon really loved, he just wanted his mates to be together, and he was very good at bringing people together." Community rocked by tragedy In May 2023, Simon Baccanello, 46, was surfing at Walkers Rock when he was attacked by a shark about 30 to 50 metres offshore. An avid surfer and keen fisherman, Simon joined the Elliston Area School earlier that year as a health and physical education teacher, and was involved in junior sports, football and tennis. Rather than be remembered for his death, Mr Baccanello said he wanted his brother to be remembered for how he lived. "There's a lot of heartache that has come from Simon's death, which was a really difficult thing at the time," he said. "But having said that, from it has come a lot of good. "My family is indebted and very grateful to the community of Elliston who have just been extraordinary to our family." An outpouring of generosity With a fundraising goal of $300,000, the team has already smashed it, and is now aiming for $500,000. "I'm sure Simon would be very happy with the fact that what we're doing is for the benefit of a community that he loved, and a community that we've come to love," Mr Baccanello said. Elliston Area School principal Chad Fleming has been with the support team throughout the run and said he was "blown away" by the support and camaraderie of the runners. "You can just feel the vibes coming from everyone that's participating and everyone involved," Mr Fleming said. Mr Fleming said while plans for the new facility have not yet been finalised, it would focus on community health, wellbeing and fitness. "We've got a really vibrant committee organised … everyone's having a say and input on what this amazing amount of money will be put towards," he said. "Even building that committee is bringing people together and I feel like that's gonna be the end result of Simon's legacy in our town. "He gelled with the kids straight away, got to know so many people so quickly and people talk about those conversations he had with them. "We're really looking to replicate that and that's going to be his legacy, not only in our town, but for the rest of our lives."