NEXT week eleven of the Eurobodalla’s finest athletes will represent NSW at the 10th Special Olympics National Games in Melbourne.
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The group will join more than 1000 athletes who will play a range of 16 sports at some of the same world-class venues where their sporting heroes have performed.
Moruya’s Craig Hropic-Mitchell, Liz Godwin, Laurie Masterson, Tuross Head’s Madison Windley and Turlinjah’s Reanna Hardy will post-up for NSW in the basketball competition at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Kathy Godwin, one of the group’s basketball coaches, was rapt that each division was represented by a player from the Eurobodalla.
“There are five different grades and we have a person in each different grade, which is great,” Godwin said.
Masterson was expecting tough competition in his division.
“We’ll be strong but it’s a very hard, fast game,” Masterson said.
Two Moruya swimmers, Heidi Jay and Sharon Himan, will take the plunge at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Jay, who represented Australia at last year’s Asia-Pacfic Games, said she was “really, really excited”.
“It’s a dream come true,” Jay said.
“I love being in the water and I love the feeling of jumping off the blocks.”
Himan will race at her third nationals and was not worried about her performance.
“I want to have fun and maybe get some medals,” Himan said.
Moruya’s Brett Bottle will be playing soccer and he’ll run on the pitch at the Darebin International Sports Centre, Victoria’s football, lawn bowls and cycling centre.
Bottle played cricket for Australia at the Asia-Pacific Games and decided to return to his roots for the nationals.
“I’ve always been into soccer and I started when I was a boy,” Bottle said.
“I had to give it up but I started again in Moruya and I’m happy to be at the nationals.”
Batemans Bay’s Amy Foot and Hayley Badenoch and Moruya’s Caitlin Blay are tenpin bowling at WynCity Bowl and Entertainment.
It’s the Batemans Bay pair’s first national games while Blay played basketball for Australia at last year’s Asia-Pacific Games.
Blay was rapt her guide dog Danny – a black Labrador – will be able to join her at the national games after she was unable to take him to the Asia-Pacific Games at Newcastle last year.
“I think I’ll go well but I’m more worried about Danny on his first big trip,” Blay said.
The event kicks off with the opening ceremony on Monday after at Lakeside Stadium and the closing ceremony will be held at Luna Park on Friday.