Running into Nationals

From: Gloucester Advocate, Australia - Nov 16, 2004

Two Gloucester Public School students have sprinted, jumped and thrown their way in to the New South Wales side to compete in the national athletics championships in Adelaide at the end of the month.

Year six student, 12-year-old Lani Taylor won gold in the high jump and bronze in the long jump at the state event to win her place in the team to attend the nationals.

Lani competed at state in the high jump, long jump and 100 metres.

Fellow year six student Wade Penfold won gold in his 100 metres race and silver in the shot put to also secure a spot at the nationals.

Wade is profoundly deaf (and has a cochlear ear implant) and competes in a category at state and national level for athletes with disabilities.

Both athletes will fly out for Adelaide on November 28 to represent NSW at the national titles and are excited about attending the competition.

Lani is coached by Gloucester's Mark Emery and said she owed him a big thank you for his assistance.

Her mum Kim said she was estastic to have made the state side and could not wait to take part in nationals.

Wade too is excited about his selection.

While he was placed in two events at state he will complete in the 100m, 200m, long jump and shot put in Adelaide.

His mum Jenny said in Wade's events the competition starts at a state level and from that event a team of approximately eight athletes is selected to contest nationals and they then can take part in a number of events.

Both athletes are members of Gloucester's Little Athletics club and have been involved in athletics for a number of years.

In the next few weeks their training will also be accompanied by fundraising as they sell raffle tickets to help fund their trip to South Australia.

Anyone wanting to support them can purchase tickets from the school or Kim Taylor and Jenny Penfold.

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