Echuca Special Olympics National Games representatives have all come home with medals after the week-long tournament in Launceston concluded on Friday.
Thirteen Echuca athletes performed strongly in swimming, bocce, ten-pin bowling and basketball for Victoria, and Echuca Special Olympics chairperson Diane Dean said they had done their club proud.
“It went very well, I think everyone came home with a medal,” Dean said.
“The team did us proud and they loved it.”
Athletes were treated to a farewell ceremony at the MCG in early October and as the week progressed following the opening ceremony the stories came thick and fast, including a starring campaign for one of Victoria’s National Games debutants and a medal trifecta.
“Amelia Dean had a silver and a bronze double, Jayden (Wright) also had a bronze in bowling,” Dean said.
“It was Caroline Jones’ first time at the National Games, and her goal was to get a medal.”
Jones delivered in the bocce discipline, earning a silver medal alongside Damien Cleary and Kelliane Ludbey who flew the flag for Echuca and Victoria.
Jones and Ludbey picked up silvers in their respective divisions, while Cleary picked up a well-earned bronze.
In the pool, Echuca’s swimmers shined for the Big V.
Jaymes Whelan picked up gold in the 50m freestyle relay, while Casey Petrie, Kellie McIntosh, Tayla Molluso and Ashley Stone each earned silver medals in their freestyle relays.
Molluso also added a silver medal in the 100m backstroke to the medal tally as Nate Spiers and Christian Leris each earned bronze medals in the 50m relay and 100m freestyle respectively.
Wright’s bronze and Amelia Dean’s medal trifecta in the bowling lane was also a highlight, while Taila Upton took to the basketball court for Victoria, coming away with a silver medal.
Every athlete ended up with some silverware around their neck amid a field of 732 athletes from all over Australia in an experience they won’t soon forget.
The swathe of medals is also testament to the determination of athletes and supporters bound for the games who were dealt an early challenge with their cruise from Melbourne cancelled the day before the opening ceremony.
“It did take a bit of the edge off, but everyone got there eventually and did very well,” Dean said.