Radio presenter Marilyn (Mazza) Bennet loves to grace the airwaves and bring as much joy to listeners as she always has.

She and her partner veteran radio personality Ian Braybrook own Radio 88FM for Seniors in Castlemaine which they run from a studio in their Castlemaine home. Between them they have many followers as well as a swag of awards and citations that read like a Who’s Who of the broadcasting world.

Mazza OAM (for service to radio and to the community) began in radio in Bendigo over 35 years ago and has also acted in television and theatre and worked in print media. She has also co-authored a number of books with Ian.

Mazza moved to the Castlemaine area to be near 3CCC, where she was from its earliest days. They say radio veterans never really retire – they simply come up for air every now and again. “We’re still broadcasting every day,” Mazza says. “We have no plans to stop anytime soon – why would we? We’re busy and happy and are thoroughly enjoying life.”

It’s International Women’s Day on 8 March and an opportunity to recognise the impact that women, in our Uniting AgeWell family, like Mazza, are continuing to make.

Mazza and Ian are still as immersed in the local community as ever. They were on the Seniors Festival Committee in Castlemaine, (Mazza was awarded Senior Citizen of the Year in 2016) and she also chaired the Positive Ageing Advocacy Group (PAAG).

She and Ian also set up the Harcourt Heritage and Tourist Centre, which proudly still hosts the Harcourt Apple Fest. Mazza was also a member of the Castlemaine Theatre Company and enjoyed putting on productions.

Recently Mazza was a guest on Uniting AgeWell’s podcast The Ageing Ideal with host Jacinta Parsons and Associate Professor Anita Goh from the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI). In Series 2 Episode 5 entitled the Ageing Paradox Mazza talks about her experiences and says, “My life is important to me, and I want to look after me, and I want to get out there in the world and just keep going.”

Both Mazza and Ian receive Support at Home through Uniting AgeWell and say that ageing is just another chapter in life to embrace.

Find out more about Support at Home.