As far as competitive swimmers go, Cairns’ Bec Wright sure took her sweet time diving into the sport.
And this week, as she competes in no less than nine pool and ocean events at the 2022 Pan Pacific Masters Games, she’ll be swimming with a very special spirit on her shoulders.
“My mum Judy was diagnosed with cancer 11 months ago and she passed away last Saturday,” Bec said.
“I was tossing up whether to race or not this week, but she said she wanted me to swim.
Sunshine Coast Outrigger Canoeist, Chris Ballert was determined to get front row seats and accommodation for the 2020 PPMG outrigger event booking into the Broadwater Park Caravan Park beachside cabin nice and early.
This year sees the revival of the purpose built and exclusive Games Village alongside the beach at Kurrawa Park in the heart of Broadbeach. The ‘big top’ is where the 13,000-plus participants can party the night away after a big day of competition, meet old friends and new and soak up the camaraderie the legendary Games Village is famous for.
The 2022 Pan Pacific Masters Games are here…finally!
Over the coming 10 days over 13,000 participants in 41 sports and their 20,000 supporters will descend on the city for the first time since 2018, including coronavirus disruptions in 2020 and 2021.
Events Management Queensland CEO Cam Hart says all is in readiness with strong support across all sports.
“Everyone’s just champing at the bit to be a part of Australia’s largest Masters Games once again,” Mr Hart said ahead of Friday’s start of competition.
They came in pairs, they came in groups, and some arrived on their own. Before long the queue for ‘Check In’ at the Pan Pacific Masters Games became a babble of happy laugher and excited chatter as hundreds of participants picked up their kits and accreditation ahead of 10 days of fun, friendly but fierce sporting competition.
Victorian Calisthenics exponent Sonia Chapple is headed to her first Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast (4-13 November 2022) thankful she’s not the founding member of a very exclusive club. “I had a liver transplant 10 years ago, a pancreas transplant six and a half years ago and there was talk at one stage that I might need a kidney transplant,” Sonia said.
Star Walker’s inclusiveness, warmth and welcome has given a Pan Pacific Masters Games (PPMG) vision impaired debutant the confidence to play netball and experience high action sport she thought she’d never enjoy again. When Suzanne Worland was diagnosed with Macular Tel Type 2 seven years ago, she was told her sight would be okay until she was in her late 60’s or older.
Queensland’s Damon Kendrick (63) is a former springboard diving champion, a one-time trapeze artist and these days a competitive swimmer. He’s also been a poster boy for blood donation for the past half century after having his right leg below the knee surgically amputated following a shark attack just south of Durban, South Africa in the summer of 1974.
We are thrilled to announce Diesel as the #PPMG22 closing night act! With over thirty five singles, sixteen albums, 6 ARIA awards and record sales edging 1 million, DIESEL is a journeyman of music.
Mother and daughter Kerrie Jones and Nicola Jones share a curious concept of taking a break.
They’ll travel from their southern NSW homes to the Gold Coast for November’s 2022 Pan Pacific Masters Games (4-13 November) with 69-year-old Kerrie set to compete in no less than six track and field throwing events and Nicola (36) lining up for Games glory in three quite different sports.
