Special Olympics Athlete Triumphs Hockey Champs Going For Gold

You may remember our previous article regarding Stuart Gorton, a member of Gaythorne Bowls Club, who was selected in the Bocce Team to represent Australia at the Special Olympics in Germany. Well, we were delighted to hear that Stuart returned home adorned in medals having won Silver in both the Singles and Pairs events and a Bronze in his Teams event. What an achievement!

Now Stuart is firmly back on Aussie soil, we were delighted to sit down with him and hear about his experiences in Germany and the many great memories that were made.

A stand out experience for Stuart was the Opening Ceremony, which was attended by 7000 athletes from around the world, and took place in the same stadium used for the 1936 Olympic Games.

All events at the Special Olympics were well attended, creating a wonderful atmosphere for the athletes. Competition for Bocce, Basketball, Gymnastics and other indoor sports were played in stunning Indoor Stadium. All outdoor athletic events were held at the world class Olympic Stadium. Stuart could not speak highly enough of the accommodation and meals supplied by the organizers. He was especially happy that he didn’t have to wash and iron, which was all done for the athletes.

Not only are the sporting achievements and experiences to be cherished by Stuart, he also had the chance to take in a bit of the local sites. A highlight was the guided bus tours throughout Berlin and having the opportunity to see the Brandenburg Gates and Checkpoint Charlie with the many bullet holes in walls - something he will never forget. A trip out to the beautiful countryside and a visit to the Australian Teams’ German Host City of Potsdam was another highlight of the sites.

The Closing Ceremony was held in front of the Brandenburg Gates with the visiting teams surrounded by a huge number of German spectators, families and friends - something all the athletes will remember for a lifetime.

What about the future? The Organizing Committee has been approached by two cities Perth, Australia and Los Angeles, USA to host the Special Olympics in four years time.

Stuart would like to extend a special thanks for the fantastic support the Australian Team received from the public, family and friends.

Congratulations to Ascot Arana Hockey players Kara Bradley, Georgia Harris, Lara Pyle and Demi Walker who recently won the Gold Medal at the U18 Australian Hockey Championships in Hobart. These four talented young guns were a part of the U18 Queensland Maroon team that beat Victoria in the dying seconds of the Gold Medal match.

Fellow Ascot Arana Hockey Club member Amy Ryan was the Head Coach of the dominant Queensland Maroon team. After an extremely successful tournament, Georgia Harris and Demi Walker were selected for the 2023 Hockey Australia Women's Futures (U18) Squad. Players selected have been identified as potential Hockeyroos of the future.