My Brother - Double Olympic Gold Medallist!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds impressive doesn't it!!! And he is. Yes I am the proud sister of a double Gold medallist, plus a silver and a fourth!

My brother Aran is competing in the Junior Special Olympics in Canberra this weekend. He is doing swimming and soccer (they have to do 2 sports, one individual and one team). He had swimming this morning. His results

25m backstroke - second (by a fingernail, 0.04 of a second actually!)
50m freestyle - first
50m breaststroke - fourth
50m butterfly - first

So it's been an exciting day. Obviously we aren't there, but i was able to listen over the phone. Listen to Mum cheering him on and some commentary here or there. I didn't hear the last race as I was on the phone to my auntie, so that was disappointing to miss another win. He's so proud of himself, rightly so. I really didn't expect anything from him, but was really praying he would do well so he wasnt disappointed. Just to get a medal of any colour would have made him happy so to do so well is awesome.

I soooooooooo desperately wanted to be there, but it is soooooo expensive to fly in and out of Canberra. If Jamie had not been working, I would have probably gone and perhaps just taken Bethany. But not to be.

Mum was clearly very nervous, sideline coach as well! Not officially! He doesn't dive in, so against anyone who dives he is instantly behind. I'm not sure of who else was diving, but I know in the breaststroke he was behind from the start but he managed to catch up only to just be pipped for third.

I am so proud of him. When someone has a disability, there are many lows. There are highs too but they are probably fewer and perhaps not as high. But this is awesome, to have something that HE is good at, just him. He was also Grade 8 Swimming Champion at his school this year.

In the middle of posting, Mum rang and I listened to the presentation of his gold medal. How much i want to be there. :(

TTFN